Peggy and Dan began the New Year with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy & Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the experiment's session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink. (To monitor the crewmembers' sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Dan and Peggy wear a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days, as part of the crew's discretionary 'job jar' task list.) Additional Details: here....

CDR Whitson and FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink.

(To monitor the crewmembers' sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Dan and Peggy wear a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days, as part of the crew's discretionary 'job jar' task list.)

Peggy and Dan spent several hours getting 'the broom out of the closet', i.e., accessing the PMA-3 (Pressurized Mating Adapter 3) at the Node-1 nadir port and retrieving the spare BMRMM (Bearing Motor Roll Ring Module) for its planned installation at the Stbd (right-side) 1A BGA (Beta Gimbal Assembly) on the S4 truss in an upcoming EVA, replacing the failed BMRRM. The following steps were successfully executed to retrieve the spare part: Additional Details: here....

CDR Whitson and FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink.

(To monitor the crewmembers' sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Dan and Peggy wear a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days, as part of the crew's discretionary 'job jar' task list.)

CDR Whitson and FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink.

(To monitor the crewmembers' sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Dan and Peggy wear a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days, as part of the crew's discretionary 'job jar' task list.)

Also before breakfast, Peggy Whitson, Yuri Malenchenko and Dan Tani performed the periodic Russian biomedical routine assessments PZEh-MO-7/Calf Volume Measurement and PZEh-MO-8/Body Mass Measurement (5th for CDR & FE-1, 4th for FE-2), using the IM mass measurement device which Malenchenko afterwards broke down for stowage. (Calf measurements (left leg only) are taken with the IZOG device, a custom-sewn fabric cuff that fits over the calf, using the knee and lower foot as fixed reference pints, to provide a rough index of deconditioning in zero-G and effectiveness of countermeasures. For determining body mass in zero-G, where things are weightless but not massless, the Russian IM "scales" measure the inertial forces that arise during the oscillatory motion of a mass driven by two helical metering springs with known spring constants. By measuring the time period of each oscillation of the unknown mass (the crewmember) and comparing it to the period of a known mass, the crewmember's mass is calculated by the computer and displayed.) Additional Details: here....

CDR Whitson & FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy & Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink. (To monitor the crewmembers' sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Dan and Peggy wear a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days, as part of the crew's discretionary 'job jar' task list.) Additional Details: here....

Sunday -- off-duty day for CDR Whitson, FE-1 Malenchenko and FE-2 Tani (congratulations, Dan, to the nice write-up about you and your mom in today's Washington Post!).

Ahead: Week 12 of Increment 16. Also:

Christmas Eve for tomorrow's Russian Orthodox Christmas.

CDR Whitson & FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy & Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink. (To monitor the crewmembers' sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Dan and Peggy wear a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days, as part of the crew's discretionary 'job jar' task list.) Additional Details: here....

CDR Whitson and FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink.

(To monitor the crewmembers' sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Dan and Peggy wear a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days, as part of the crew's discretionary 'job jar' task list.)

Working in the DC1 Docking Compartment, FE-1 Malenchenko, later joined by CDR Whitson, started a three-day maintenance activity on three Russian Orlan-M spacesuits (#25, #26, #27), first initiating discharge of 825M3 Orlan battery pack #1, then scrubbing and degassing the Orlan water loops, followed by the coolant loops in the DC1 and SM PkhO (Service Module Transfer Compartment) BSS Orlan Interface Units. (Functional inspection & checkout of the suits and their spare parts, including bladder leak tests, are scheduled tomorrow & Thursday.) Additional Details: here....

CDR Whitson and FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink.

(To monitor the crewmembers' sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Dan and Peggy wear a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days, as part of the crew's discretionary 'job jar' task list.)

The FE-2 worked in the Airlock (A/L), starting on a lengthy (2h 25m) troubleshooting procedure on the EACP (EVA/EMU Audio Control Panel), first setting up comm from the A/L, then activating the EACP and connecting it via the 'low clearance' Y-cable to ATU-4 (Audio Terminal Unit, #4) and ATU-6 on the A/L Avionics Rack. After initial testing, the EACP was turned off again. (ATU-6 was installed by Clay Anderson on 10/11/07 in place of a failed unit, and the failed ATU-6 was returned on 10A. The new ATU-6 has been experiencing periodic lockups and PBIT (passive built-in test) faults. Engineering analysis and testing indicate that these issues may be caused by improperly mated J3 & J4 connections, a problem with the address connector, or a dirty fiber-optic connector. There are 3 ATUs in the A/L, one of which must be functional for EVAs, so long as the suited EVA crew has established UHF (Ultra High Frequency) radio communication.) Additional Details: here....

CDR Whitson and FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink.

(To monitor the crewmembers' sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Dan and Peggy wear a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days, as part of the crew's discretionary 'job jar' task list.)

Upon wakeup, FE-1 Yuri Malenchenko terminated his seventh MBI-12 SONOKARD experiment session, started last night, by taking the recording device from his SONOKARD sports shirt pocket and later copying the measurements to the RSE-MED laptop for subsequent downlink to the ground. (SONOKARD objectives are stated to (1) study the feasibility of obtaining the maximum of data through computer processing of records obtained overnight, (2) systematically record the crewmember's physiological functions during sleep, (3) study the feasibility of obtaining real-time crew health data. Investigators believe that contactless acquisition of cardiorespiratory data over the night period could serve as a basis for developing efficient criteria for evaluating and predicting adaptive capability of human body in long-duration space flight.) Additional Details: here....

CDR Whitson and FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink.

(To monitor the crewmembers' sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Dan and Peggy wear a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days, as part of the crew's discretionary 'job jar' task list.)

At ~3:10am EST, the FE-2 activated the VDS MPC (Video Distribution System/Multi-Purpose Converter) with its four downlinks to allow the ground to conduct HDTV (high-definition TV) playback and downlink operations. Later (~11:30am), the MPC was powered off again. Additional Details: here....

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below.

Saturday -- off-duty day for CDR Whitson, FE-1 Malenchenko and FE-2 Tani except for housekeeping and voluntary work. "CDR Whitson & FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy & Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink. (To monitor the crewmembers ' sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Dan and Peggy wear a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days, as part of the crew 's discretionary 'job jar' task list.) Additional Details: here....

First Messenger flyby of Mercury - .
Nation: USA.
Spacecraft: Messenger.
The Messenger spacecraft flew by Mercury at 200 kilometers altitude at 19:04 GMT. This changed the craft's solar orbit to to 0.32 x 0.70 AU leading to further flybys and a final orbital capture in 2011..

CDR Whitson and FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink.

(To monitor the crewmembers' sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Dan and Peggy wear a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days, as part of the crew's discretionary 'job jar' task list.)

FE-1 Malenchenko serviced the Russian BMP (Harmful Impurities Removal System), starting the "bake-out" cycle to vacuum on absorbent bed #2 of the regenerable dual-channel filtration system. The regen process was terminated at ~2:00 EST. (Regeneration of each of the two cartridges takes about 12 hours and is conducted only during crew awake periods. Filter bed 1 was regenerated yesterday.) Additional Details: here....

CDR Whitson and FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink.

(To monitor the crewmembers' sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Dan and Peggy wear a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days, as part of the crew's discretionary 'job jar' task list.)

Preparatory to today's pump R&R (Removal & Replacement) of the EHS VOA (Environmental Health Systems/Volatile Organic Analyzer), CDR Whitson rotated the CHeCS rack down for some AAA(Avionics Air Assembly) fan/filter and smoke detector cleaning, before FE-2 Tani performed the VOA IFM (Inflight Maintenance), with filter inspection, preceded and followed by taking CSA-O2 (Compound Specific Analyzer-Oxygen) readings in the affected rack areas. (If the O2 percentage was between 15.7% - 24.1%, Dan was Go to proceed. If not, the ground had steps to be taken to ventilate the area. Ground analysis has shown that the secondary seals in QDs (Quick Disconnects) in the Nitrogen/Oxygen systems do not always seal properly, which can result in an increased N2/O2 concentration behind panels & racks with no ventilation. The CHeCS (LAB1D4) is one of these racks.) Additional Details: here....

CDR Whitson and FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink.

(To monitor the crewmembers' sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Dan and Peggy wear a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days, as part of the crew's discretionary 'job jar' task list.)

Also before breakfast, Peggy Whitson, Yuri Malenchenko and Dan Tani performed the periodic Russian biomedical routine assessments PZEh-MO-7/Calf Volume Measurement and PZEh-MO-8/Body Mass Measurement (6th for CDR & FE-1, 5th for FE-2), using the IM mass measurement device which Malenchenko afterwards broke down for stowage. (Calf measurements (left leg only) are taken with the IZOG device, a custom-sewn fabric cuff that fits over the calf, using the knee and lower foot as fixed reference pints, to provide a rough index of deconditioning in zero-G and effectiveness of countermeasures. For determining body mass in zero-G, where things are weightless but not massless, the Russian IM "scales" measure the inertial forces that arise during the oscillatory motion of a mass driven by two helical metering springs with known spring constants. By measuring the time period of each oscillation of the unknown mass (the crewmember) and comparing it to the period of a known mass, the crewmember's mass is calculated by the computer and displayed.) Additional Details: here....

CDR Whitson & FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy & Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink. (To monitor the crewmembers' sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Dan and Peggy wear a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days, as part of the crew's discretionary 'job jar' task list.) Additional Details: here....

CDR Whitson and FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink.

(To monitor the crewmembers' sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Dan and Peggy wear a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days, as part of the crew's discretionary 'job jar' task list.)

At ~2:55am EST, the FE-2 again activated the VDS MPC (Video Distribution System/Multi-Purpose Converter) with its four downlinks to allow the ground to conduct HDTV (high-definition TV) playback and downlink operations. Later (~12:15pm), the MPC was powered off again. (The end-to-end test of the system, conducted by the crew and ground specialists on 1/17 to verify the MPC HDTV (Multi-Purpose Converter/High-Definition TV) capability all the way to the NASA TV satellite, was very successful, yielding an overall end-to-end audio latency (delay) for the MPC System of 3.2 seconds. This is the delay from the crewmember to JSC/MCC-H to NASA Headquarters and out to the NASA TV satellite in high definition (including, but are not limited to, CNNHD, ABC, NBC, CBS, and Discovery HD Theater), i.e. the sum total of the audio delay the interviewer and interviewee will "feel" during an interactive event. This Japan/JAXA originated system will be utilized soon for downlink messages and in-flight interviews based on client capability.) Additional Details: here....

CDR Whitson and FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink.

(To monitor the crewmembers' sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Dan and Peggy wear a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days, as part of the crew's discretionary 'job jar' task list.)

Peggy Whitson continued her work with the InSPACE-2 (Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Emulsions) experiment in the MSG (Microgravity Science Glovebox), today conducting runs #23 and #24, then powering down the payload and switching the MSG to standby. (After activation of MSG plus InSPACE & InSPACE-2 equipment, Peggy checked on alignment & focusing of MSG video cam #2, repositioned the sample vial, changed out video recorder tapes and later deactivated InSPACE & MSG. InSPACE, conducted last in June 2006 by Jeff Williams on Increment 13, obtains basic data on magnetorheological fluids, i.e., a new class of "smart materials" that can be used to improve or develop new brake systems, seat suspensions robotics, clutches, airplane landing gear, and vibration damper systems. The dispersed particles are contained in CAs (Coil Assemblies) in the MSG that subject them to electric fields of certain strength and frequencies.) Additional Details: here....

CDR Whitson and FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink.

(To monitor the crewmembers' sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Dan and Peggy wear a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days, as part of the crew's discretionary 'job jar' task list.)

Dan Tani dismantled the InSPACE-2 (Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Emulsions) experiment in the MSG (Microgravity Science Glovebox) and stowed the equipment, including the video gear. Additional Details: here....

CDR Whitson and FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink.

(To monitor the crewmembers' sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Dan and Peggy wear a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days, as part of the crew's discretionary 'job jar' task list.)

Upon wakeup, FE-1 Yuri Malenchenko terminated his eighth MBI-12 SONOKARD experiment session, started last night, by taking the recording device from his SONOKARD sports shirt pocket and later copying the measurements to the RSE-MED laptop for subsequent downlink to the ground. (SONOKARD objectives are stated to (1) study the feasibility of obtaining the maximum of data through computer processing of records obtained overnight, (2) systematically record the crewmember's physiological functions during sleep, (3) study the feasibility of obtaining real-time crew health data. Investigators believe that contactless acquisition of cardiorespiratory data over the night period could serve as a basis for developing efficient criteria for evaluating and predicting adaptive capability of human body in long-duration space flight.) Additional Details: here....

2008 January 26 - .

Death of Klaus Eduard Scheufelen - .
Nation: Germany.
Related Persons: Scheufelen.
German engineer, V-2 test leader. At end of war headed development of Taifun unguided antiaircraft rocket, characterised as a 'desperation project'. As of January 1947, working at Fort Bliss, Texas. Living in Lenningen, Germany in 2004..

FE-1 Malenchenko finished Part 2 of his first stress test plus saliva and blood sampling of the ESA/Russian biomed experiment 'IMMUNO' (Neuroendocrine & Immune Responses in Humans During & After Long Term Stay at ISS), today completing remaining urine sample collections. Specimens were then stowed in a special urine containment bag (blood samples were secured yesterday in the MELFI {Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS} in cold packs). (IMMUNO is a 24-hr. test of human immune system changes, with the objective to investigate immune neuro-endocrine reactions in the space environment by studying samples of saliva, blood and urine using collection kits and the biomedical (MBI) protection kit. Also included are entries in a fluid/medications intact log, and a stress-test questionnaire to be filled out by the subject at begin and end of the first day.) Additional Details: here....

FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy & Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night on his Actiwatch, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink.

The crew performed the regular weekly three-hour task of thorough station cleaning. ("Uborka", usually done on Saturdays, includes removal of food waste products, cleaning of compartments with vacuum cleaner, damp cleaning of the Service Module (SM) dining table, other frequently touched surfaces and surfaces where trash is collected, as well as the CDR's sleep station with a standard cleaning solution; also, fan screens and grilles are cleaned to avoid temperature rises. Special cleaning is also done every 90 days on the HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) bacteria filters in the Lab.) Additional Details: here....

Light duty day today for the crew following yesterday's successful EVA.

>>>>Today 50 years ago, the U.S. launched its first Earth satellite, Explorer 1, on a Redstone/Jupiter rocket built by the Wernher von Braun team for the Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA). The satellite, developed by JPL and equipped with radiation sensors by Dr. James Van Allen, discovered the Van Allen Radiation Belts of Earth.<<<<

FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy & Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink. (To monitor the crewmembers' sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Dan wears a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days, as part of the crew's discretionary 'job jar' task list.) Additional Details: here....

FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink.

(To monitor the crewmembers' sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Dan wears a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days, as part of the crew's discretionary 'job jar' task list.)

>>>Yesterday, NASA observed the annual Day of Remembrance honoring those members of the NASA Family who lost their lives while furthering the cause of exploration and discovery. This memorial event honors the families and crews of Columbia STS-107, Challenger STS 51-L, and Apollo 1, as well as all the astronauts who have sacrificed their lives for this nation. <<<

FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy & Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink. (To monitor the crewmembers' sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Dan wears a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days, as part of the crew's discretionary 'job jar' task list.) Additional Details: here....

FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy & Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink. (To monitor the crewmembers' sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Dan wears a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days, as part of the crew's discretionary 'job jar' task list.) Additional Details: here....

Progress M-63/28P is continuing its 3-day flight to the ISS for docking tomorrow morning (2/7) at ~9:38am EST at the DC1 nadir port.

After wakeup and before breakfast, FE-2 Dan Tani completed his daily access of the SLEEP experiment (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy & Light Exposure during Spaceflight) software for data logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the experiment's laptop session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink. (To monitor the crewmember's sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Dan wears a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days, as part of the crew's discretionary 'job jar' task list.) Additional Details: here....

ISS flight 1E's primary mission was the long-delayed delivery and installation of the European Columbus module. The shuttle entered an initial 58 km x 230 km orbit at 19:54 GMT. The OMS-2 circularization burn at 20:23 GMT put it into a 215 km x 233 km chase orbit. Atlantis docked with the PMA-2 port of the ISS at 17:17 GMT on 9 February. Eyharts was dropped off at the station, Tani, already aboard the ISS, returned to Earth on Atlantis. Atlantis undocked from the ISS on 20 February at 09:24 GMT; began its deorbit burn at 12:59; and landed at the Kennedy Space Center at 14:07.

Mission 1E replanning by MCC-Houston, driven by the one-day delay of the first spacewalk, was completed last night, as follows:

Approved mission extension by one day (i.e., 12+0+2 instead of 11+0+2), resulting in 2/19 (Tuesday) as return date for Atlantis; Limiting resource being oxygen (O2), under further discussion is the option to either extend by one more docked day or transfer the unexpended O2 to the ISS (current O2 margins are estimated to be 11+1+2 plus an additional 20-25 hours. These are still being refined given the insertion of the new FD4); All FD 4 activities moved to FD 5. EVA-1 will be conducted by Stanley Love and Rex Walheim tomorrow, with Campout of the two tonight; Today (FD 4) was replanned and includes 1.5 hrs of focused inspection (FI) of the starboard OMS (Orbital Maneuvering System) pod blanket that has a corner slightly peeled back (the FI, starting at ~ 2:15 pm EST, is planned for 90 min, with additional FI time available on FD 06 if needed); Transfer status: 22% of transfer complete, 6 hours of transfer scheduled for FD 4, expect 35/40 lbs N2 transfer today, 3 CWCs filled. Wakeup time for the ISS crew remains at 4:45am EST, with sleep time tonight 8:45pm. Same times for the Shuttle crew. Additional Details: here....

STS-122 - Wakeup Song: Fly Like An Eagle - .
Flight: STS-122.
"Fly Like An Eagle" ” written by Steve Miller, was played for Mission Specialist Leland Melvin on the day he will use the station’s robotic arm to lift the Columbus research module from Atlantis’ payload bay..

At ~9:15am EST, the European Columbus laboratory was opened and entered by crewmembers for the first time. (Columbus is permanently attached at the starboard port of Node-2.)

Crew sleep cycle remains at 4:45am - 8:15pm for both crews.

Before breakfast, FE-2 Dan Tani completed his daily access of the SLEEP experiment (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy & Light Exposure during Spaceflight) software for data logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the experiment's laptop session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink. (To monitor the crewmember's sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Dan wears a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days, as part of the crew's discretionary 'job jar' task list.)

CDR Peggy Whitson and FE-2-16 Leo Eyharts continued their IMMUNO (Integrated Immune Assessment) experiment, begun on 2/9, with liquid saliva collections, first thing after wake-up and prior to breakfast, drinking and teeth-brushing. All samples were stored at ambient temperature. Dan Tani's IMMUNO liquid saliva collection starts tomorrow morning. (IMMUNO (Integrated Immune Assessment)is a 24-hr. test of human immune system changes, with the objective to investigate immune neuro-endocrine reactions in the space environment by studying samples of saliva, blood and urine using collection kits and the biomedical (MBI) protection kit, to develop and validate an immune monitoring strategy consistent with operational flight requirements and constraints. The strategy uses both long and short duration crewmembers as study subjects. The saliva is collected in two forms, dry and liquid. The dry samples are collected at intervals during the collection day using a specialized book that contains filter paper. The liquid saliva collections require that the crewmember soak a piece of cotton inside their mouth and place it in a salivette bag; there are four of the liquid collections during docked operations. The on-orbit blood samples are collected right before undocking and returned on the Shuttle so that analysis can occur with 48 hours of the sampling. This allows assays that quantify the function of different types white blood cells and other active components of the immune system. For cold storage, samples are secured in the MELFI (Minus-Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS). Also included are entries in a fluid/medications intact log, and a stress-test questionnaire to be filled out by the subject at begin and end. Urine is collected during a 24-hour period, conventionally divided into two twelve-hour phases: morning-evening and evening-morning.) Additional Details: here....

Last night, Mission 1E was extended by one day (13+0+2), with landing now on Wednesday, 2/20, at ~9:03am EST (if at KSC).

Columbus final activation has been completed.

After yesterday's command queue lockup between the COL CCS (Columbus Orbital Laboratory Command & Control System) and the COL MMC (Mission Management Computer), final activation of COL data management systems was accomplished late last night by transitioning/swapping the primary & backup C&C MDM (Multiplexer/Demultiplexer) computers. (The MMC is the intermodule interface computer required between the US C&DH (Command & Data Handling) system and the COL DMC (Data Management Computer) which handles equipment monitoring) Additional Details: here....

2008 February 14 - .

STS-122 - Wakeup Song: Consider Yourself at Home. - .
Flight: STS-122.
"Consider Yourself at Home." The song, which is from the musical Oliver!, was played for Mission Specialist Stanley Love. "That's a wonderful song, thanks so much for sending it," said Love, 42..

CDR Peggy Whitson performed her final INTEGRATED IMMUNE blood collection, assisted by MS1 Leland Melvin, right before hatch closure. FE-2 Dan Tani will continue his saliva collections, both liquid and dry, and blood collections aboard the Atlantis all the way home FE-2-16 Leo Eyharts transferred his and Peggy's saliva return pouches and blood sleeves as well as Dan's saliva collection kit to the Shuttle for return. (Background: IMMUNE assessment, integrated with the Russian IMMUNO, is a 24-hr. test of human immune system changes, with the objective to investigate immune neuro-endocrine reactions in the space environment by studying samples of saliva, blood and urine using collection kits and the biomedical (MBI) protection kit, to develop and validate an immune monitoring strategy consistent with operational flight requirements and constraints. The strategy uses both long and short duration crewmembers as study subjects. The saliva is collected in two forms, dry and liquid. The dry samples are collected at intervals during the collection day using a specialized book that contains filter paper. The liquid saliva collections require that the crewmember soak a piece of cotton inside their mouth and place it in a salivette bag; there are four of the liquid collections during docked operations. The on-orbit blood samples are collected right before undocking and returned on the Shuttle so that analysis can occur with 48 hours of the sampling. This allows assays that quantify the function of different types white blood cells and other active components of the immune system. For cold storage, samples are secured in the MELFI (Minus-Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS). Also included are entries in a fluid/medications intact log, and a stress-test questionnaire to be filled out by the subject at begin and end. Urine is collected during a 24-hour period, conventionally divided into two twelve-hour phases: morning-evening and evening-morning.) Additional Details: here....

Underway: Week 18 of Increment 16, with a new FE-2, LĂ(c)opold (Leo) Eyharts who has replaced Dan Tani.

US Holiday (President's Day).

STS-122/Atlantis and ISS are flying in separate orbits again (Flight Day 12 for STS-122/1E)

After final preparations on both sides of the hatches (closed yesterday on ISS side at 1:03pm EST), Atlantis this morning undocked smoothly at 4:27am from PMA-2 (Pressurized Mating Adapter 2), after a total docked time of 11d 13h 42m. (For undocking, the station was turned from -XVV through ~180 deg to +XVV ZLV (+x-axis in velocity vector, z-axis in local vertical) at ~3:30am, put briefly on free drift for the undocking, and then maneuvered to 1E Stage attitude of +XVV TEA attitude at 5:06am.) See picture from Atlantis flight deck, below. Additional Details: here....

For today's Voluntary Science program, CDR Whitson continued her work with the InSPACE-2 (Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Emulsions) experiment in the MSG (Microgravity Science Glovebox), conducting runs #28, #29 and #30, investigating low frequency behavior of the lowest concentration magnetorheological (MR) fluid, exchanging video tapes after each run, then switching to the highest concentration (vial #4) and finally powering the MSG down. (The activity included an EPO (Education Payload Operation) Demo for grades 9-12. InSPACE obtains basic data on MR fluids, i.e., a new class of "smart materials" that can be used to improve or develop new brake systems, seat suspensions robotics, clutches, airplane landing gear, and vibration damper systems. The colloidal (dispersed) particles are contained in CAs (Coil Assemblies) in the MSG that subject them to electric fields at certain strength and frequencies. The desired strong dipolar interaction between the small colloidal particles can be achieved in micro-G simply with an external magnetic field being turned on and off. On the ground, the flow properties (rheology) of many materials, especially those making up consumer products like detergents, fabric softeners, toothpaste and paints, are similarly controlled, though not by magnetic fields but by adding a polymer. It now appears, for example, that new formulations of fabric softeners may perform better in space than on earth. ) Additional Details: here....

The classifed NRO USA 193 spacecraft, launched in 2006, suffered a complete failure of its on-board propulsion system, putting the satellite in a rapidly-decaying orbit. The Pentagon said that the hydrazine propellant aboard consituted a risk and announced they would shoot the satellite down. The real objective may have been to demonstrated US antisatellite capability after a Chinese test in 2007. In any case, on 21 February 2008 the satellite was down to a 242 km x 257 km orbit. At 03:26 GMT an SM-3 missile was fired from the Aegis cruiser USS Lake Erie stationed west of Hawaii, to intercept the satellite. The hit-to-kill warhead successfully rammed the satellite, breaking it up into 153 catalogued items of debris with perigees of 170-250 km and apogees of up to 2700 km.

Upon wakeup, FE-1 Yuri Malenchenko terminated his tenth MBI-12 SONOKARD experiment session, started last night, by taking the recording device from his SONOKARD sports shirt pocket and later copying the measurements to the RSE-MED laptop for subsequent downlink to the ground.

(SONOKARD objectives are stated to (1) study the feasibility of obtaining the maximum of data through computer processing of records obtained overnight, (2) systematically record the crewmember's physiological functions during sleep, (3) study the feasibility of obtaining real-time crew health data. Investigators believe that contactless acquisition of cardiorespiratory data over the night period could serve as a basis for developing efficient criteria for evaluating and predicting adaptive capability of human body in long-duration space flight.) Additional Details: here....

WINDS, the Wide-band Internetworking Engineering Test and Demonstration Satellite, was designed to demonstrate delivery of high bandwidth Ka-band Internet service to remote areas of Japan and Southeast Asia from geostationary orbit at 143 deg E. Users with a small 45 cm in diameter antenna could receive data at up to 155 Mbps and transmit data at up to 6 Mbps.

For today's Voluntary Science program, Peggy Whitson continued her work with the InSPACE-2 (Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Emulsions) experiment in the MSG (Microgravity Science Glovebox), conducting runs #31, #32 and #33 to investigate low frequency behavior (0.66 Hz) at the highest particle concentration MR (magnetorheological) fluid, exchanging video tapes after each run, then removing the vial assembly and finally powering the MSG down. (InSPACE obtains basic data on MR fluids, i.e., a new class of "smart materials" that can be used to improve or develop new brake systems, seat suspensions robotics, clutches, airplane landing gear, and vibration damper systems. The colloidal (dispersed) particles are contained in CAs (Coil Assemblies) in the MSG that subject them to electric fields at certain strength and frequencies. The desired strong dipolar interaction between the small colloidal particles can be achieved in micro-G simply with an external magnetic field being turned on and off. On the ground, the flow properties (rheology) of many materials, especially those making up consumer products like detergents, fabric softeners, toothpaste and paints, are similarly controlled, though not by magnetic fields but by adding a polymer. It now appears, for example, that new formulations of fabric softeners may perform better in space than on earth.) Additional Details: here....

Before breakfast, having reached the FD15 (Flight Day 15) mark in his flight, FE-2 Eyharts undertook his first session with the NASA/JSC experiment NUTRITION w/Repository, today limited to two blood draws (for Serum & Heparin). (Acting as operator and CMO (Crew Medical Officer), Peggy Whitson performed phlebotomy on Leo, i.e., drew blood samples (from an arm vein) which were first allowed to coagulate in the Repository, then spun in the HRF RC (Human Research Facility/Refrigerated Centrifuge) and finally placed in MELFI (Minus-Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS). The RC was later powered off after a temperature reset to limit wear on the compressor, and cleaned. Background: NUTRITION is the most comprehensive in-flight study done by NASA to date of human physiologic changes during long-duration space flight; this includes measures of bone metabolism, oxidative damage, nutritional assessments, and hormonal changes. The Clinical Nutritional Assessment profile currently required on all U.S. Astronauts collects blood and urine samples preflight and postflight. NUTRITION expands this protocol by also capturing inflight samples and an additional postflight sample. Furthermore, additional measurements are included for samples from all sessions, including additional markers of bone metabolism, vitamin status, and hormone and oxidative stressor tests. The results will be used to better understand the impact of countermeasures (exercise and pharmaceuticals) on nutritional status and nutrient requirements. The Clinical Nutritional Assessment profile (MR016L), first started on two Mir crewmembers and then on all ISS US crews, nominally consists of two pre-flight and one post-flight analysis of nutritional status, as well as an in-flight assessment of dietary intake using the FFQ (Food Frequency Questionnaire). The current NUTRITION project expands MR016L testing in three ways: Addition of in-flight blood & urine collection (made possible by MELFI), normative markers of nutritional assessment, and a return session plus 30-day (R+30) session to allow evaluation of post-flight nutrition and implications for rehabilitation.) Additional Details: here....

Concluding his first session with the NASA/JSC experiment NUTRITION w/Repository, FE-2 Eyharts completed the all-day Part 2, by collecting urine samples for 24 hrs, to continue through tomorrow morning.

The samples were consecutively stored in the MELFI (Minus-Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS). Blood collections were performed by Peggy on Leo yesterday. (The current NUTRITION/Repository project is the most comprehensive in-flight study done by NASA to date of human physiologic changes during long-duration space flight. It includes measures of bone metabolism, oxidative damage, nutritional assessments, and hormonal changes, expanding the previous Clinical Nutritional Assessment profile (MR016L) testing in three ways: Addition of in-flight blood & urine collection (made possible by MELFI), normative markers of nutritional assessment, and a return session plus 30-day (R+30) session to allow evaluation of post-flight nutrition and implications for rehabilitation.) Additional Details: here....

Upon wakeup, FE--2 Eyharts performed the last sampling of his first session with the NASA/JSC experiment NUTRITION w/Repository, collecting a final urine sample for storage in the MELFI (Minus-Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS).

The sampling kit was then stowed away. Leo's next NUTRITION/Repository activity will be his Flight Day 30 (FD30) session. (The current NUTRITION project is the most comprehensive in-flight study done by NASA to date of human physiologic changes during long-duration space flight. It includes measures of bone metabolism, oxidative damage, nutritional assessments, and hormonal changes, expanding the previous Clinical Nutritional Assessment profile (MR016L) testing in three ways: Addition of in-flight blood & urine collection (made possible by MELFI), normative markers of nutritional assessment, and a return session plus 30-day (R+30) session to allow evaluation of post-flight nutrition and implications for rehabilitation.) Additional Details: here....

For the purpose of testing the main TORU (Teleoperator Control System) receiver on Progress M-63/28P, FE-1 Malenchenko and CDR Whitson worked with ground specialists via VHF on DO3 (Daily Orbit 3) in the standard vehicle-to-vehicle TORU checkout between the Service Module (SM) and the docked Progress 28P.

Progress thrusters (DPO) were inhibited and not involved. (Crew activities focused on TORU activation, inputting commands via the RUO Rotational Hand Controller and close-out ops. TORU lets an SM-based crewmember perform the approach and docking of automated Progress vehicles in case of failure of the automated KURS system. Receiving a video image of the approaching ISS, as seen from a Progress-mounted docking television camera ('Klest'), on a color monitor ('Simvol-Ts', i.e. 'symbol center') which also displays an overlay of rendezvous data from the onboard digital computer, the crewmember steers the Progress to mechanical contact by means of two hand controllers, one for rotation (RUO), the other for translation (RUD), on adjustable armrests. The controller-generated commands are transmitted from the SM's TORU control panel to the Progress via VHF radio. In addition to the Simvol-Ts color monitor, range, range rate (approach velocity) and relative angular position data are displayed on the 'Klest-M' video monitor (VKU) which starts picking up signals from Progress when it is still approximately 7 km away. TORU is monitored in real time from TsUP over Russian ground sites (RGS) and via Ku-band from Houston, but its control cannot be taken over from the ground.) Additional Details: here....

Today is February's fifth Friday, because of its 29 Leap Year days; the last time February had 5 Fridays was in 1980 and next time will be in 2036.

Before breakfast and exercise, FE-2 Eyharts performed his first PHS (Periodic Health Status) w/Blood Labs examination. CDR Whitson assisted in drawing blood and using the U.S. PCBA(Portable Clinical Blood Analyzer). The second part of PHS, Subjective Clinical Evaluation, was performed later in the day. (The PHS exam, with PCBA analysis and clinical evaluation, is guided by special software (IFEP, In-Flight Examination Program) on the MEC (Medical Equipment Computer). While PCBA analyzes total blood composition, the blood's hematocrit is particularly measured by the Russian MO-10 protocol.) Additional Details: here....

The crew completed the regular weekly three-hour task of thorough station cleaning. ("Uborka", usually done on Saturdays, includes removal of food waste products, cleaning of compartments with vacuum cleaner, damp cleaning of the Service Module (SM) dining table, other frequently touched surfaces and surfaces where trash is collected, as well as the CDR's sleep station with a standard cleaning solution; also, fan screens and grilles are cleaned to avoid temperature rises. Special cleaning is also done every 90 days on the HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) bacteria filters in the Lab.) Additional Details: here....

FE-1 Malenchenko updated software on the Russian RS1 laptop HDD (Hard Disk Drive). (After first connecting the A31p to the AGAT external monitor (temporarily disconnected from TP2 laptop), the FE-1 'ghosted' (cloned) its HDD with Vers. 07.05 file structure from a DVD, then updated the RS1 HDD new software from an USB memory stick, and created a copy of the load.)

Afterwards, Malenchenko conducted the periodic/long-term inspection of the pressure hull in the Service Module Working Compartment (SM RO), looking for any moisture, deposits, mold, corrosion and pitting behind panels 107, 109, 130, 134, 135, 138, 139, 452, also underneath the TVIS treadmill (where deposit was discovered earlier) and the cold plates (where SNT and STR lines are installed). (The inspection of the hull surface, which is coated with a primer and dark-green enamel, is done using cleaning napkins to wipe the area in question if required and reporting results to the ground. The hull inspection looks for changed color and cavities; if cavities are found, they are to be measured for depth after cleaning. Digital photographs of the shell before and after the removal of deposits will be made for documentation.) Additional Details: here....

2008 March 4 - .

ISS EO-16: Jules Verne ATV prepares for le voyage extraordinaire - .
Program: ISS.
When author Jules Verne imagined in 1865 the story that would become De la Terre ŕ la Lune (From the Earth to the Moon), he envisioned a rocket that would launch people into space using a giant cannon to escape the Earth’s gravity. .
Additional Details: here....

In the COL (Columbus Orbital Laboratory), FE-2 Leo Eyharts had an hour allotted to perform troubleshooting on a structural element which earlier (2/17) had prevented installation of a K-BAR (Knee-Brace Assembly Replacement) capture mechanism on the overhead F2 rack, as required for relocating of the MSG (Microgravity Science Glovebox) and EXPRESS Rack 3 (ER3).

(Today's troubleshooting dealt with repair and cleaning of a threaded hole on a standoff element for the right K-BAR capture fitting. The FE-2 used a vacuum cleaner to remove FOD (Foreign Object Debris) plus safety goggles, rubber gloves and a surgical mask for his protection.)

FE-1 Malenchenko started his day with an IFM (In-flight Maintenance) in the FGB (Funktsionalnyi-Grusovoi Blok), removing and replacing a sensor component of the SIT-9L Temperature Measuring System in the BR-9TsU-8 Radiotelemetry System (RTS) with a new unit, discarding the old box.

CDR Whitson performed the periodic calibration of the two CSA-O2 (Compound Specific Analyzer-Oxygen sensor) instruments #1041 & #1052, using a calibration tank with accurately known pressure. (Partial Pressure Oxygen (ppO2) readings were 21.4% before and 21.3% after calibration on #1041, 23,3%/21.3% on #1052.)

Upon wake-up, FE-1 Yuri Malenchenko terminated his MBI-12 SONOKARD experiment session (his 11th), started last night, by taking the recording device from his SONOKARD sports shirt pocket and later copying the measurements to the RSE-MED laptop for subsequent downlink to the ground.

(SONOKARD objectives are stated to (1) study the feasibility of obtaining the maximum of data through computer processing of records obtained overnight, (2) systematically record the crewmember's physiological functions during sleep, (3) study the feasibility of obtaining real-time crew health data. Investigators believe that contactless acquisition of cardiorespiratory data over the night period could serve as a basis for developing efficient criteria for evaluating and predicting adaptive capability of human body in long-duration space flight.) Additional Details: here....

For his second run with the NASA/JSC experiment NUTRITION w/Repository, FE-2 Eyharts completed the all-day session, collecting urine samples for 24 hrs (to continue through tomorrow morning) and blood samples (for Serum & Heparin). (Acting as operator and CMO (Crew Medical Officer), Peggy Whitson performed phlebotomy on Leo, i.e., drew blood samples (from an arm vein) which were first allowed to coagulate in the Repository, then spun in the HRF2 RC (Human Research Facility 2/Refrigerated Centrifuge) and finally placed in MELFI (Minus-Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS). The RC was later powered off after a temperature reset to limit wear on the compressor, and cleaned. Background: NUTRITION is the most comprehensive in-flight study done by NASA to date of human physiologic changes during long-duration space flight; this includes measures of bone metabolism, oxidative damage, nutritional assessments, and hormonal changes. The Clinical Nutritional Assessment profile currently required on all U.S. Astronauts collects blood and urine samples preflight and postflight. NUTRITION expands this protocol by also capturing in-flight samples and an additional postflight sample. Furthermore, additional measurements are included for samples from all sessions, including additional markers of bone metabolism, vitamin status, and hormone and oxidative stressor tests. The results will be used to better understand the impact of countermeasures (exercise and pharmaceuticals) on nutritional status and nutrient requirements. The Clinical Nutritional Assessment profile (MR016L), first started on two Mir crewmembers and then on all ISS US crews, nominally consists of two pre-flight and one post-flight analysis of nutritional status, as well as an in-flight assessment of dietary intake using the FFQ (Food Frequency Questionnaire). The current NUTRITION project has expanded MR016L testing in three ways: Addition of in-flight blood & urine collection (made possible by MELFI), normative markers of nutritional assessment, and a return session plus 30-day (R+30) session to allow evaluation of post-flight nutrition and implications for rehabilitation.) Additional Details: here....

First launch of Europe's Automated Transfer Vehicle, a logistics vehicle designed for ISS resupply. The Ariane model 5ES launch vehicle, vehicle L528, had the enhanced EAP solid boosters and EPC core stage of the Ariane 5ECA, but with the new EPS-V upper stage with restart capability and a vehicle equipment bay instrument unit strengthened to carry the heavier LEO payload. Jules Verne carried 1300 kg of dry cargo, 302 kg of water and oxygen, and 860 kg of propellant to the ISS. For this test mission it had a dry mass of 10075 kg and 6475 kg of maneuvering propellant (in later missions the propellant could be thousands of kilograms less, in order to deliver more cargo).

The EPS stage made its first burn and placed the stack into a 137 km x 260 km orbit at 04:20 GMT. The EPS restarted at 05:05, burned for 30-seconds, and released the ATV into a 254 km x 272 km orbit.

Following extensive checkouts and maneuvering near the ISS, ATV Jules Verne docked at the aft end of ISS Zvezda module at 14:52 GMT on 3 April. While docked to the station, it was used several times to boost the station's orbit and to shift it in debris avoidance maneuvers. The ATV undocked from the ISS on 5 September and used a fuel-conserving 23 days to position itself for a safe re-entry over the South Pacific. Final destructive re-entry began at 13:30 GMT on 29 September.

After consulting with Col-CC (Columbus Control Center) specialists, FE-2 Eyharts set up a video camcorder in front of the FSL RIC (Fluid Science Laboratory Rack Interface Controller) to monitor its LEDs, then performed an uplinked troubleshooting procedure on the FSL facility, using wire cutter, wire stripper and crimp tools in an effort to repair its LAN (Local Area Network) jumper that could not be connected with the UIP (Utility Interface Panel) J46 LAN-1 connector last week. Additional Details: here....

Endeavour's main task was delivery of the Canadian Dextre robotic manipulator (fitted to the end of the Canadarm-2 robotic arm already installed on the station) and the Japanese Kibo ELM-PS Experiment Logistics Module - Pressurized. It also brought astronaut Reisman to the station, replacing Eyharts on the long-duration crew. The orbiter was placed in an initial 58 km x 220 km orbit at main engine shutdown, adjusted by the OMS-2 firing 38 minutes later to a 220 km x 233 km chase orbit. On 13 March the shuttle docked with the PMA-2 port of the International Space Station at 03:49 GMT. Mission accomplished, Endeavour undocked at 00:25 GMT on March 25, completed the customary ISS flyaround at 01:36 GMT, deorbited at 23:33 GMT the next day, and landed at 00:39 GMT at Kennedy Space Center.

STS-123 - Wakeup Song: Saturday Night - .
Flight: STS-123.
"Saturday Night" by Bay City Rollers, was played for the station’s newest crew member, Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman. "Just want to say that the song was an outstanding selection. Thank you very much," said Reisman..

Classified National Reconnaisance Office satellite placed in a Molniya orbit; orbital parameters are estimated. Believed to be the second in a new series carrying combined signals intelligence and early warning payloads. Probable sensors included the SBIRS HEO-2 infrared missile early warning package and the NASA/Los Alamos TWINS-B magnetospheric research payload.

The Briz M stage failed during its second burn, shutting down by 2 minutes 13 seconds early, leaving the satellite in a 770 km x 26447 km x 49.2 deg orbit. The spacecraft separated and raised this to 772 km x 35576 km x 49.0 deg, but operational geostationary orbit could not be attained and the satellite was a writeoff. AMC 14 had a total mass at launch of 4140 kg of which 2130 kg was propellant. The final orbit attained was an inclined orbit at geostationary altitude.

2008 March 15 - .

Death of George David Low at Reston, Virginia. Cancer. - .
Nation: USA.
Related Persons: Low.
American engineer mission specialist astronaut. Flew on STS-32, STS-43, STS-57. Son of former NASA administrator George M Low..

"We’re Going to be Friends" by the White Stripes. The song was played for Mission Specialist Robert L. Behnken. "Thanks for that, Al," Robert Behnken replied. "Good morning to you as well, and thanks for that great wakeup music, that's one of my favorite".

The Delta's second stage first cutoff at 06:20 GMT put the stage and payload into a 174 km x 205 km parking orbit. The stage fired again to place the satellite into a 188 km x 20325 km x 40.0 deg transfer
orbit. USA 201 fired its apogee motor at 09:21 GMT on 17 March in and placed itself into its operational final orbit.

SPDM Dextre was checked out and is working nominally with both arms. (The waist-up-only robot from Canada arrived in space in nine separate pieces that are being assembled in the current spacewalks. Each of the two arms has seven joints; in addition, SPDM (Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator) Dextre can pivot at the 'waist'. Its grippers (hands) have built-in socket wrenches, cameras & lights. Only one arm is movable at a time, to keep the robot stable and avoid a two-arm collision. Dextre can be attached to MT (Mobile Transporter) to translate along the stations rail tracks, or alternately to the SSRMS (Space Station Remote Manipulator System) to swing to places where the railcart can't go. What a supercool helper!) Additional Details: here....

2008 March 16 - .

STS-123 - Wakeup Song: God of Wonders - .
Flight: STS-123.
"God of Wonders" by “Caedmon’s Call”. The song was played for Endeavour’s commander, Dominic Gorie..

The astronauts completed assembly of the Dextre robotic manipulator, installed the LWAPA adapter plate on the External Payload Facility of the Columbus module, and transferred spare equipment from Endeavour's payload bay to the station's External Stowage Platform 2. They were unable to complete the planned installation of the MISSE 6 sample exposure experiment on the LWAPA.

STS-123 - Wakeup Song: Hoshi Tsumugi no Uta - .
Flight: STS-123.
"Hoshi Tsumugi no Uta" , a Japanese song that translates to “Song of Spinning Stars”. The song was played for Mission Specialist Takao Doi, a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut..

2008 March 19 - .

Death of Arthur C Clarke - .
Nation: UK.
Related Persons: Clarke.
British writer. Leading science fiction writer, also wrote key books popularizing space travel in 1950's and 1960's. Created concept of geosynchronous communications satellite in 1946. Wrote 2001: A Space Odyssey..

Placed in orbital slot 99.2° W Longitude. In combination with DirecTV 10, the satellite would allow the parent company to direct broadcast local HDTV to 90 percent of its customers in North America. The Ka-band satellite was equipped with 28 active and 8 spare TWTAs for direct broadcast to the continental United States and Alaska; 4 active and 4 spare for broadcast to the 48 stages and Hawaii; and 55 active and 15 spares for spot transmissions. Total power was 18 kW / 16 kW at beginning/end of life. Propulsion was provided by 445 N liquid apogee engine and four XIPS 35-cm ion thrusters. Mass at launch was 6060 kg and 3700 kg after on-board propellants were consumed to place the satellite in its operational geosynchronous orbit.

STS-123 - Wakeup Song: Blue Sky - .
Flight: STS-123.
"Blue Sky" by Big Head Todd and the Monsters, was played for Mission Specialist Rick Linnehan, who will serve as the spacewalk coordinator for today’s 6.5-hour-long excursion by Mission Specialists Robert L. Behnken and Mike Foreman..

Demonstrated an on-orbit heat shield repair technique using the T-RAD (Tile Repair Ablator Dispenser) to demonstrate an Orbiter tile repair DTO (Development Test Objective) in space. (The spacewalkers tested STA-54, a pink putty-like material consisting of two compounds that are mixed together in a pressure-driven applicator gun just before they exit the nozzle. With Foreman working the applicator, the test was completed nominally, and the test samples were stowed in the TSA (Tool Stowage Assembly in the Orbiter PLB (Payload Bay) for return and analysis; results looked good); Removed RPCM (Remote Power Controller Module) S02B-D on the S0 truss and replaced it with a new unit. (Since the RPCM controls CMG-2 (Control Moment Gyroscope #2), circuitry had to be powered down and the CMG-2 removed from the steering law beforehand. After the successful R&R, the spacewalkers attempted several times to reconfigure the Z1 patch panel, a pre-requisite for powering the new RPCM, but were unable to do so due to tough-to-reach connectors which could not be unmated. The patch panel reconfiguration currently remains incomplete, but there are no impacts to current operations); Inspected the Z1 truss toolbox for MMOD (Micrometeoroid/Orbital Debris) damage and noticed several 'pits'. (Video imagery will be assessed by specialists); Released Node-2 Port ACBM (Active Common Berthing Mechanism) launch locks in preparation for berthing the JEM (Japanese Experiment Module) module 'Kibo' on Flight 1J next May; Removed the remaining SPDM OTCM-2 (Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator/ORU Tool Changeout Mechanism #2) thermal covers, reconfigured some of the wrist blankets and flaps, and inspected the Shoulder Roll joint of SPDM Arm #2 for possible MLI (Multi-Layered Insulation) interference. None was seen. (WVS (Wireless Video System) helmet cam video was also obtained for ground analysis.) Additionally, two get-ahead tasks were completed: Additional Details: here....

2008 March 21 - .

STS-123 - Wakeup Song: Enter Sandman - .
Flight: STS-123.
"Enter Sandman" performed by Metallica. The song was played for Mission Specialist Robert L. Behnken..

The crew completed installation of the MISSE 6 sample exposure experiment; assisted in the installation of the OBSS arm, used to inspect the underside of the Shuttle, on the Station truss. The crew finally made inspections of the damaged Solar Alpha Rotary Joint, required to develop a future repair method.

2008 March 22 - .

STS-123 - Wakeup Song: I Loved Her First - .
Flight: STS-123.
"I Loved Her First" Her First”. The song was played for Endeavour Commander Dominic Gorie..

Ahead: Week 23 of Increment 16. HAPPY EASTER! Congratulations, Shuttle & ISS crews: Five EVAs in a row, all successful. What a great Easter gift!

>>>>Today at ~7:43am EDT, the ISS, specifically its FGB module, completed 53,500 orbits of the Earth, having covered a distance of 2.25 billion kilometers (1.4 billion st.miles) in 3411 days. The 19,300 kg (42,600 lbs) Zarya ('Dawn') was launched on a Russian/Khrunichev Proton from Baikonur over nine years ago (11/20/1998) as the first element of the multi-national space station.<<<< Additional Details: here....

2008 March 23 - .

STS-123 - Wakeup Song: I am Free - .
Flight: STS-123.
"I am Free" ” The song was played for Mission Specialist Mike Foreman and performed by the Friendswood United Methodist Church Praise Team at his church..

After wakeup yesterday, FE-2-16 Reisman had his third session with the biomed experiment INTEGRATED IMMUNE (Validating Procedures for Monitoring Crew member Immune Function), collecting dry saliva samples. (INTEGRATED IMMUNE protocol requires the collection to occur first thing post-sleep, before eating, drinking and brushing teeth, and all samples are stored at ambient temperature. Along with NUTRITION (Nutritional Status Assessment), IMMUNE samples & analyzes participant's blood, urine, and saliva before, during and after flight for changes related to functions like bone metabolism, oxidative damage and immune function to develop and validate an immune monitoring strategy consistent with operational flight requirements and constraints. The strategy uses both long and short duration crewmembers as study subjects. The saliva is collected in two forms, dry and liquid. The dry samples are collected at intervals during the collection day using a specialized book that contains filter paper, all stored at ambient temperature.) Additional Details: here....

STS-123/Endeavour and ISS are flying in separate orbits again (Flight Day 15/16 for STS-123/1J/A)

After final preparations on both sides of the hatches (closed yesterday on ISS side at 5:51pm EDT), Endeavour undocked last night at 8:25pm, 29 min late, from PMA-2 (Pressurized Mating Adapter 2) after a total docked time of 11d 20h 36m. (For undocking, the station was turned from -XVV through ~180 deg to +XVV ZLV (+x-axis in velocity vector, z-axis in local vertical, i.e., flying Shuttle-leading again) at ~7:09pm, put briefly on free drift for the undocking, and then moded to 1J/A Stage attitude of +XVV TEA attitude. During pre-undock feathering & locking of the station's P6 solar arrays, latch #2 of the 2B BGA (Beta Gimbal Assembly) latched only at the third attempt, delaying the undocking by ~29 min.) Additional Details: here....

For her VolSci (Voluntary Science) program today, CDR Peggy Whitson set up the SLAMMD (Space Linear Acceleration Mass Measurement Device) equipment on the HRF1 (Human Research Facility 1) rack, performed the scheduled checkout/control run and took a body mass measurement, documenting the activities with digital still & video imagery for ground evaluation and finally disassembling the equipment again. (SLAMMD provides an accurate means of determining the on-orbit mass of humans spanning the range from the 5th percentile Japanese female and the 95th percentile American male. The procedure, in accordance with Newton's 2nd Law of Motion, finds the mass by dividing force, generated by two springs inside the SLAMMD drawer, by acceleration measured with a precise optical instrument that detects the position versus time trajectory of the SLAMMD guide arm and a micro controller which collects the raw data and provides the precise timing. The final computation is done via portable laptop computer with SLAMMD unique software. To calculate their mass, crewmembers wrap their legs around a leg support assembly, align the stomach against a belly pad and either rest the head or chin on a head rest. For calibration, an 18-lbs. mass is used at different lengths from the pivot point, to simulate different mass values. Allowable crew mass range is from 90 to 240 lbs.) Additional Details: here....

As per his voluntary 'job jar' task list, after wakeup and before breakfast FE-2 Garrett Reisman completed his first session with the SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment software for data logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the experiment's laptop session file on the HRF-1 laptop.

(To monitor the crewmember's sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Garrett wears a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days.)

FE-1 Yuri Malenchenko serviced the Russian BMP (Harmful Impurities Removal System), starting the "bake-out" cycle to vacuum on absorbent bed #2 of the regenerable dual-channel filtration system. The regen process was terminated before sleeptime, at ~4:30pm EDT. (Regeneration of each of the two cartridges takes about 12 hours and is conducted only during crew awake periods. Filter bed 1 was regenerated yesterday.) Additional Details: here....

Per his voluntary 'job jar' task list, after wakeup and before breakfast FE-2 Garrett Reisman completed his second session with the SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment software for data logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the experiment's laptop session file on the HRF-1 laptop.

(To monitor the crewmember's sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Garrett wears a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days.)

Also before breakfast, having reached the FD15 (Flight Day 15) mark in his flight, Reisman undertook his first session with the NASA/JSC experiment NUTRITION w/Repository, collecting blood and urine samples. (Acting as operator and CMO (Crew Medical Officer), CDR Whitson performed phlebotomy on Garrett, i.e., drew blood samples (from an arm vein) which were first allowed to coagulate in the Repository, then spun in the HRF RC (Human Research Facility/Refrigerated Centrifuge) and finally placed in MELFI (Minus-Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS). The RC was later powered off after a temperature reset to limit wear on the compressor, and cleaned. Garrett's urine samples were also placed in the MELFI. Background: NUTRITION is the most comprehensive in-flight study done by NASA to date of human physiologic changes during long-duration space flight; this includes measures of bone metabolism, oxidative damage, nutritional assessments, and hormonal changes. The Clinical Nutritional Assessment profile currently required on all U.S. Astronauts collects blood and urine samples preflight and postflight. NUTRITION expands this protocol by also capturing in-flight samples and an additional postflight sample. Furthermore, additional measurements are included for samples from all sessions, including additional markers of bone metabolism, vitamin status, and hormone and oxidative stressor tests. The results will be used to better understand the impact of countermeasures (exercise and pharmaceuticals) on nutritional status and nutrient requirements. The Clinical Nutritional Assessment profile (MR016L), first started on two Mir crewmembers and then on all ISS US crews, nominally consists of two pre-flight and one post-flight analysis of nutritional status, as well as an in-flight assessment of dietary intake using the FFQ (Food Frequency Questionnaire). The current NUTRITION project expands MR016L testing in three ways: Addition of in-flight blood & urine collection (made possible by MELFI), normative markers of nutritional assessment, and a return session plus 30-day (R+30) session to allow evaluation of post-flight nutrition and implications for rehabilitation.) Additional Details: here....

Ahead: Week 24 of Increment 16. Flight Control to Crew: 'Everyone at the ATV-CC (as well as MCC-M and MCC-H) could not be more pleased with how Demo Day 1 went!'

From his voluntary 'job jar' task list, after wakeup and before breakfast FE-2 Garrett Reisman completed his third session with the SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy & Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment software for data logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the experiment's laptop session file on the HRF-1 laptop. (To monitor the crewmember's sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Garrett wears a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days.) Additional Details: here....

As suggested on his voluntary 'job jar' task list, after wakeup and before breakfast FE-2 Garrett Reisman completed his fourth session with the SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy & Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment software for data logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the experiment's laptop session file on the HRF-1 laptop. (To monitor the crewmember's sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Garrett wears a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days.) Additional Details: here....

From the US voluntary 'job jar' task list, after wakeup and before breakfast CDR Whitson and FE-2 Reisman downloaded the SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data from their Actiwatches to the HRF-1 (Human Research Facility 1) laptop, changed the lithium battery in Peggy's Actiwatch and initialized both their watches.

They also changed the battery of SFP (Space Flight Participant) Yi So-yeon's Actiwatch and initialized the unit for her. (To monitor the crewmember's sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, crewmembers wear a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by them as well as their patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days.)

FE-1 Malenchenko began his activities with the routine checkup of DC1 (Docking Compartment) circuit breakers and fuses. (The monthly checkup in the 'Pirs' DC1 looks at AZS circuit breakers on the BVP Amp Switch Panel (they should all be On) and the LEDs (light-emitting diodes) of 14 fuses in Fuse Panels BPP-30 & BPP-36.) Additional Details: here....

From the US voluntary 'job jar' task list, after wakeup and before breakfast, CDR Whitson and FE-2 Reisman downloaded the SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data from their Actiwatches to the HRF-1 (Human Research Facility 1) laptop.

Yi So-yeon, the South Korean SFP (Space Flight Participant), will participate in the experiment. (To monitor the crewmember's sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, crewmembers wear a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by them as well as their patterns of sleep and activity throughout the Expedition. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days.)

Also upon wake-up, CDR Whitson started Part 2 (of 5) of the periodic acoustic measurement protocol by recording post-sleep data of the crew-worn acoustic dosimeters, later deploying the dosimeters statically in Node-2, COL (Columbus Orbital Laboratory), and SM (Service Module) near the Central Post for the duration of the day. (Acoustic data must be taken twice per Increment, each time for the duration of the 16-hour crew workday.) Additional Details: here....

After yesterday's successful ATV1 docking, CDR Whitson and FE-1 Malenchenko today performed first ingress of the European cargo carrier by executing a number of prescribed steps.

This included conducting a 30-min OBT (Onboard Training) procedures review for Docked ATV Operations, Completing a one-hour leak check of the SM PrK (Service Module Transfer Compartment)/ATV vestibule interface, Preparing the necessary equipment for the first ingress (including GSC (Grab Sample Container), IPD-CO air sampler for CO (Carbon Monoxide), AK-1M air sampler, a manual sampling pump, goggles, a dusk mask, an A-2 air scrubber filter, etc.) Donning the PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) i.e.,safety goggles, dust mask) (keeping PPE on until after ATV closeout operations and egress), Opening the hatches for partial ingress (~6:20am EDT), Installing the QD BZV (quick disconnect screw clamps) of the SSVP docking & internal transfer mechanism to rigidize the coupling, Taking copious air samples from the ATV interior, and Starting the air scrubber, equipped with an FPP electronic/EMI interference filter, to run for about 8h 20m with hatches closed. For the second ingress, scheduled tomorrow (Saturday, 4/5, at ~4:00am EDT), the air scrubbing in the ATV will make the PPE unnecessary. ATV1 will then be readily accessible to the crew for nominal operations. Also scheduled for tomorrow is an ATV thruster test. Additional Details: here....

Having passed Day 180 of her flight, Dr. Peggy Whitson began her fourth session with the NASA/JSC experiment NUTRITION w/Repository, for which she had to forego exercising and food intake for eight hours. Today's protocol consisted of two blood draws (for Serum & Heparin). Later, the CDR set up the equipment for the 24-hour urine collections which start with the first void early tomorrow morning and continue through Sunday morning. (Acting as operator, CMO (Crew Medical Officer)Garrett Reisman performed phlebotomy on Peggy Whitson, i.e., drawing blood samples (from an arm vein) which was first allowed to coagulate in the Repository for 20-30 minutes, then spun in the HRF RC (Human Research Facility/Refrigerated Centrifuge) and finally placed in MELFI (Minus-Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS). The RC was later powered off after a temperature reset to limit wear on the compressor, and cleaned. Background: NUTRITION is the most comprehensive in-flight study done by NASA to date of human physiologic changes during long-duration space flight; this includes measures of bone metabolism, oxidative damage, nutritional assessments, and hormonal changes. The Clinical Nutritional Assessment profile currently required on all U.S. Astronauts collects blood and urine samples preflight and postflight. NUTRITION expands this protocol by also capturing inflight samples and an additional postflight sample. Furthermore, additional measurements are included for samples from all sessions, including additional markers of bone metabolism, vitamin status, and hormone and oxidative stressor tests. The results will be used to better understand the impact of countermeasures (exercise and pharmaceuticals) on nutritional status and nutrient requirements. The Clinical Nutritional Assessment profile (MR016L), first started on two Mir crewmembers and then on all ISS US crews, nominally consists of two pre-flight and one post-flight analysis of nutritional status, as well as an in-flight assessment of dietary intake using the FFQ (Food Frequency Questionnaire). The current NUTRITION project expands MR016L testing in three ways: Addition of in-flight blood & urine collection (made possible by MELFI), normative markers of nutritional assessment, and a return session plus 30-day (R+30) session to allow evaluation of post-flight nutrition and implications for rehabilitation.) Additional Details: here....

Having passed Day 180 of her flight, Dr. Peggy Whitson ended her fourth session with the NASA/JSC experiment NUTRITION w/Repository by collecting a final urine sample upon wakeup for storage in the MELFI (Minus-Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS). The sampling kit was then stowed away. (The current NUTRITION project is the most comprehensive in-flight study done by NASA to date of human physiologic changes during long-duration space flight. It includes measures of bone metabolism, oxidative damage, nutritional assessments, and hormonal changes, expanding the previous Clinical Nutritional Assessment profile (MR016L) testing in three ways: Addition of in-flight blood & urine collection (made possible by MELFI), normative markers of nutritional assessment, and a return session plus 30-day (R+30) session to allow evaluation of post-flight nutrition and implications for rehabilitation.) Additional Details: here....

This morning at 4:49am EDT, Progress M-63/28P successfully undocked from the ISS. All separation burns went off nominally, and the deorbit burn followed at 7:50am for destructive reentry over the Pacific Ocean. This freed the DC1 Docking Compartment port for Soyuz TMA-12/16S docking on 4/10 at ~9:02am. (For the undocking, ISS attitude control was handed over to Russian MCS (Motion Control System) at ~2:55am and returned to U.S. momentum management at ~5:45am, still in earth-fixed LVLH (local vertical/local horizontal). During the undocking, the station was in free drift for ~9 min. Structural response data were taken by MAMS (Microgravity Acceleration Measuring System) and the external truss-mounted SDMS (Structural Dynamic Measurement System). The undocking was preceded at ~4:15am by a temporary shutdown of the amateur radio equipment in the FGB (Ericsson) & SM (Kenwood) to prevent radiofrequency interference with the departing Progress vehicle.) Additional Details: here....

Launched the EO-17 long-duration crew to replace the EO-16 crew. The commander was the son of cosmonaut Aleksandr Volkov. Also aboard was Oleg Kononenko (no relation to the 1970's Buran pilot of the same name) and Korean astronaut Yi Soyeon. Soyuz TMA-12 docked at the Pirs module of the International Space Station on 2008 Apr 10 at 12:57 GMT on 10 April. Volkov and Kononenko stayed aboard as the EO-17 long duration crew. Yi returned to earth with the EO-16 crew aboard Soyuz TMA-11. Soyuz TMA-12 undocked on 24 October at 00:16 GMT with the EO-17 crew of Kononenko and Volkov, plus space tourist Richard Garriott, aboard. They landed safely at 03:37 GMT.

(FD1 activities yesterday included the first two maneuver burns, DV1 (10:57am) & DV2 (11:50am), both with the SKD main engine. FD2 activities, started yesterday afternoon with Soyuz crew wakeup at ~4:05pm on Orbit 12, include systems & crew health status reports to TsUP, preparation of the Soyuz Habitation Module (SA) workspace, building attitude for and executing the DV3 burn, placing Soyuz back in its sun-spinning "barbecue" mode (ISK), and swapping CO2 absorption cartridges (LiOH) in the BO. Afterwards, the crewmembers will put on their Sokol suits and PKO biomed harnesses, transfer to the SA, activate its air purification system (SOA) and close the hatch to the Descent Module (BO). After activation of the active Kurs-A system on Soyuz and of the passive Kurs-P on the Service Module (SM), with a short Kurs-A/P test and several additional adjustment burns during automated rendezvous, station fly-around to align with the DC1 Docking Compartment will begin tomorrow at ~8:37am at ~400m range, followed by station keeping at ~160m (~8:46am) and docking at the DC1 port at ~9:02am. Volkov & Kononenko will replace Expedition 16 CDR Whitson & FE-1 Malenchenko. FE-2 Dr. Garrett Reisman remains on the station, joining Expedition 17 until early June when he is replaced by U.S. Astronaut Gregory E. Chamitoff on STS-124/1J. So-Yeon Yi, the 30-year old biotechnologist student from KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology) and South Korea's first astronaut, will return with Peggy & Yuri on 4/19 in Soyuz TMA-11/15S.) Additional Details: here....

The ISS crew's work/sleep cycle shifted this morning, from wakeup at 2:00am to 5:00am EDT (sleeptime tonight at 9:30pm, from 5:30pm).

Work period will shift again tomorrow (6:20am -5:50pm) and on 4/12 (2:10am -5:40pm).

Yest kasaniya! Soyuz TMA-12/16S docked smoothly at the DC1 port at 8:57am EDT, five minutes ahead of time, with Expedition 17 crewmembers CDR Sergei Volkov and FE-1 Oleg Kononenko, plus Korean SFP (Spaceflight Participant) So-Yeon Yi, 14th Visiting Crewmember (VC). After about 1.5 hrs spent in Soyuz on pre-transfer activities, the crew opened hatches, followed by crew transfer, the traditional joyful welcome event and the installation of the BZV QD (quick disconnect) clamps by Volkov and Kononenko at ~12:10pm. (After successful "kasaniya" (contact), automatic "sborka" (closing of Soyuz & DC1 port hooks & latches) took place shortly thereafter (~9:07am) while ISS was in free drift. Attitude control authority had been handed over to the Russian MCS (Motion Control System) at ~5:25am and was returned to US CMG control at ~10:05am. For the 16S docking, Russian thrusters were disabled during Soyuz volume pressurization and clamp installation; they were afterwards returned to active attitude control (~12:30pm). Before hatch opening, the crew performed leak checks of the Soyuz modules and the Soyuz/ISS interface vestibule. They then doffed their Sokol suits and set them up for drying (~1:05pm), deactivated the Atmosphere Purification Unit (BOA) in the Descent Module (SA), replaced the Soyuz ECLSS LiOH cartridges, equalized Soyuz/ISS pressures, and put the spacecraft into conservation mode on ISS integrated power.) Additional Details: here....

Today Russia observes Denj Kosmonavtov (Cosmonauts Day) and the world Yuri's Night -- celebrating Yuri Alexeyevich Gagarin's pioneering flight into space 47 years ago. And NASA is observing the 27th anniversary of STS-1, the first Space Shuttle mission to orbit. (Yuri was accepted into the cosmonaut unit in 1960, at age 26. After his historic 108-min. flight around the Earth in 'Vostok 1', which ended with a parachute ejection at 7 km altitude over a farm field near the city of Engels in Saratov Oblast (province), he was promoted to unit leader. Seven years later, on March 27, 1968, Yuri died with a flight instructor in a fighter jet crash. Chief Designer of the thusly inaugurated Soviet human space program was Sergey Pavlovich Korolev. Exactly 20 years later, John Young and Bob Crippen took the Columbia into space for a test mission lasting 2 days 6 hours 20 minutes 52 seconds.) Additional Details: here....

The crew's work/sleep cycle again was adjusted slightly, from yesterday's wakeup at 2:20am to 2:10am EDT (sleeptime tonight at 5:40pm). Tomorrow, work period will be adjusted by 5 min (to 2:15am -5:45pm).

Aboard ISS, the E16/E17 crew rotation/handover period went underway with full activity schedules for all six residents involved. Whitson, Volkov, Malenchenko and Kononenko had several hours crewtime between them for dedicated CDR/CDR & FE/FE handover activities. In addition, there are 'generic' handovers where crewmembers are scheduled together to complete various designated standard tasks. Additional Details: here....

The crew's work/sleep cycle again was adjusted slightly, from yesterday's wakeup at 2:15am to 2:20am EDT (sleeptime tonight at 5:50pm). Tomorrow, work period will again be adjusted by 5 min (to 2:15am -5:45pm).

Aboard ISS, crew rotation/handover activities continued for all six residents involved. Whitson, Volkov, Malenchenko and Kononenko had several hours scheduled between them for dedicated ('functional') CDR/CDR & FE/FE handover activities; in addition, there are 'generic' handovers where crewmembers are scheduled together to complete various designated standard tasks. Additional Details: here....

The C/NOFS (Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System) satellite flew the US Defence Department's Space Test Program P00-3 space weather forecasting mission. The L-1011 launch aircraft staged from Kwajalein atoll to a release point for the Pegasus booster somewhere over the Pacific at 10.5229 N 167.7562 E. The research satellite carring ionospheric instruments, including Aerospace Corporation's CORISS receiver which used GPS signals to determine electron densities in the ionosphere, and the Naval Research Laboratory's CERTO ionospheric radio beacon. The spacecraft was built by General Dynamics C4 Systems (former Spectrum Astro) and was managed by DoD-STP and the Air Force Research Lab. The objective was to provide data that would allow better forecasts of ionospheric scintillation which causes problems with communications and GPS signals. The satellite deployed six 10-meter booms after release from the final booster stage. Air dropped in Kwajalein Drop Zone.

Day 190 in space for Peggy & Yuri.Yesterday, Peggy Whitson set a new US endurance record of 374 days for the longest cumulative time spent in space, held before by Mike Foale (heading the list: Sergei Krikalev with 803 days).

With undocking time on 4/19 approaching, the ISS crew went on an irregular sleep/wake cycle:

First activity this morning for FE-2 Reisman was to start on his FD30 (Flight Day 30) session with the NASA/JSC experiment NUTRITION w/Repository. Reisman completed the all-day session, collecting urine samples for 24 hrs (to continue through tomorrow morning) and blood samples (for Serum & Heparin). (Garrett performed self-phlebotomy, i.e., drew his blood samples (from an arm vein) which were first allowed to coagulate in the Repository, then spun in the HRF2 RC (Human Research Facility 2/Refrigerated Centrifuge) and finally placed in MELFI (Minus-Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS). The RC was later powered off after a temperature reset to limit wear on the compressor, and cleaned. Background: NUTRITION is the most comprehensive in-flight study done by NASA to date of human physiologic changes during long-duration space flight; this includes measures of bone metabolism, oxidative damage, nutritional assessments, and hormonal changes. The Clinical Nutritional Assessment profile currently required on all U.S. Astronauts collects blood and urine samples preflight and postflight. NUTRITION expands this protocol by also capturing in-flight samples and an additional postflight sample. Furthermore, additional measurements are included for samples from all sessions, including additional markers of bone metabolism, vitamin status, and hormone and oxidative stressor tests. The results will be used to better understand the impact of countermeasures (exercise and pharmaceuticals) on nutritional status and nutrient requirements. The Clinical Nutritional Assessment profile (MR016L), first started on two Mir crewmembers and then on all ISS US crews, nominally consists of two pre-flight and one post-flight analysis of nutritional status, as well as an in-flight assessment of dietary intake using the FFQ (Food Frequency Questionnaire). The current NUTRITION project has expanded MR016L testing in three ways: Addition of in-flight blood & urine collection (made possible by MELFI), normative markers of nutritional assessment, and a return session plus 30-day (R+30) session to allow evaluation of post-flight nutrition and implications for rehabilitation.) Additional Details: here....

2008 April 21 - .

ISS EO-16: Expedition 16 Crew Lands in Kazakhstan - .
Commander Peggy Whitson and cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko of the 16th International Space Station crew landed on the steppes of Kazakhstan around 4:30 a.m. EDT Saturday after 192 days in space..
Additional Details: here....

FE-1 Kononenko performed major periodic replacements on the SM(Service Module)'s ASU toilet facility, changing out replaceable parts with new components, such as a sensor unit (A8A-9060), two receptacles (PR and MP), four hoses, a T-connector, an elbow fitting, an indicator, a filter insert (F-V), and the pretreat container (E-K) with its hose.

All old parts were discarded as trash. The KTO waste container is being kept for ~7 days. The activity was supported by ground specialist tagup. (E-K contains five liters of pre-treat solution, i.e., a mix of H2SO4 (sulfuric acid), CrO3 (chromium oxide, for oxidation and purple color), and H2O (water). The pre-treat liquid is mixed with water in a dispenser (DKiV) and used for toilet flushing.)

In the US Lab, after inspecting, activating & configuring the MSG (Microgravity Science Glovebox) facility, FE-2 Reisman initiated a new series of vacuum draws on the sample chamber by opening the vent and vacuum valves in preparation for CSLM-2 (Coarsening in Solid-Liquid Mixtures 2) experiment ops on 4/24. After configuring the EMCS for water reservoir replacement, Reisman then replaced the water reservoirs on both rotors and set EMCS switches to allow ground commanding of the facility. The setup was photo documented. (CSLM-2 examines the kinetics of competitive particle growth within a liquid matrix. During this process, small particles shrink by losing atoms to larger particles, causing the larger particles to grow (coarsen) within a liquid lead/tin matrix. This study defined the mechanisms and rates of coarsening that govern the manufacture with metals from turbine blades to dental amalgam fillings.) Additional Details: here....

Before breakfast, CDR Volkov, FE-1 Kononenko and FE-2 Reisman began their workday with the periodic session of the Russian biomedical routine assessments PZEh-MO-7/Calf Volume Measurement and PZEh-MO-8/Body Mass Measurement (first for CDR and FE-1, second for FE-2), using the IM mass measurement device which Oleg Kononenko afterwards broke down for stowage.

(Calf measurements (left leg only) are taken with the IZOG device, a custom-sewn fabric cuff that fits over the calf, using the knee and lower foot as fixed reference pints, to provide a rough index of deconditioning in zero-G and effectiveness of countermeasures. For determining body mass in zero-G, where things are weightless but not massless, the Russian IM "scales" measure the inertial forces that arise during the oscillatory motion of a mass driven by two helical metering springs with known spring constants. By measuring the time period of each oscillation of the unknown mass (the crewmember) and comparing it to the period of a known mass, the crewmember's mass is calculated by the computer and displayed.) Additional Details: here....

Before breakfast and exercise, CDR Volkov and FE-1 Kononenko completed their first session with the periodic Russian MedOps test "Hematokrit" (MO-10), which measures the red cell count of the blood, with FE-2 Reisman acting as CMO (Crew Medical Officer, Russian: Examiner).

(The blood samples were drawn from a finger with a perforator lancet, then centrifuged in two microcapillary tubes in the M-1100 kit's minicentrifuge, and its hematocrit value was read off the tubes with a magnifying glass. It is a well-known phenomenon of space flight that red blood cell count (normal range: 30-45%) tends to go down over time. After the exam, the data were saved in the IFEP software (In-Flight Examination Program) on the MEC (Medical Equipment Computer), and Kononenko stowed the equipment.) Additional Details: here....

China's first in a series of new data relay satellites, and the first launch of the CZ-3C, a variant of the Long March with two liquid strap-ons. The satellite will relay data from Chinese manned and military satellites, beginning with the Shenzhou mission, from geostationary orbit at 77 deg E. Configuration unknown, but possibly based on the DFH-4 platform.

Second European Galileo navigation system test satellite. The booster placed the Giove/Fregat stack on a suborbital trajectory. The Fregat stage then burned to enter a a 170 km parking orbit. The stage burned at least twice more before releasing the satellite into its operational orbit. Retired in 2012 as the production models went on-line.

CDR Volkov worked a major IFM (Inflight Maintenance) in replacing the compressor unit of the Russian SKV-2 air conditioner with a spare, after first verifying deactivation of SKV-2 and the associated NOK-2 condensate evacuation pump.

The separation & reconnection of hydraulic lines required several leak checks during the IFM. The activities were supported by tagup with ground specialists via S-band and photo documented. (The SKV-2 shut down yesterday morning due to high temperature, but the compressor R&R had already been scheduled for some time.)

With the BITS2-12 onboard telemetry system's still disconnected at the SKV-2 and the Elektron ST-64 current stabilizer (BD-SU control mode remaining active), FE-1 Kononenko replaced the ST-64 with a spare unit to check out the latter's operability. Later, Sergey & Oleg reconnected the BITS2-12, and the Elektron was restarted in 32A mode by the ground, with Kononenko monitoring the external temperature of its secondary purification unit (BD) for the first 10 minutes of operations to ensure that there was no overheating. The activities were supported by tagup with ground specialists via S-band. (When the FE-1 disconnected the BITS2-12 telemetry connector at the ST-64, an 'SM Elektron Catastrophic Failure' alarm alerted the crew but was quickly identified by TsUP-Moscow as having been generated by erratic data caused by the cable disconnection. The message was unexpected since it had not annunciated previously in ground tests of the R&R.) Additional Details: here....

Upon wake-up, FE-1 Kononenko terminated his first MBI-12 SONOKARD experiment session, started last night, by taking the recording device from his SONOKARD sports shirt pocket and later copying the measurements to the RSE-MED laptop for subsequent downlink to the ground.

At ~5:20pm EDT, just before sleep time, CDR Volkov will start his first overnight MBI-12 session. (SONOKARD objectives are stated to (1) study the feasibility of obtaining the maximum of data through computer processing of records obtained overnight, (2) systematically record the crewmember's physiological functions during sleep, (3) study the feasibility of obtaining real-time crew health data. Investigators believe that contactless acquisition of cardiorespiratory data over the night period could serve as a basis for developing efficient criteria for evaluating and predicting adaptive capability of human body in long-duration space flight.) Additional Details: here....

Upon wake-up, CDR Volkov terminated his first MBI-12 SONOKARD experiment session, started last night, by taking the recording device from his SONOKARD sports shirt pocket and later copying the measurements to the RSE-MED laptop for subsequent downlink to the ground. (SONOKARD objectives are stated to (1) study the feasibility of obtaining the maximum of data through computer processing of records obtained overnight, (2) systematically record the crewmember's physiological functions during sleep, (3) study the feasibility of obtaining real-time crew health data. Investigators believe that contactless acquisition of cardiorespiratory data over the night period could serve as a basis for developing efficient criteria for evaluating and predicting adaptive capability of human body in long-duration space flight.) Additional Details: here....

FE-1 Oleg Kononenko serviced the Russian BMP (Harmful Impurities Removal System), starting the "bake-out" cycle to vacuum on absorbent bed #2 of the regenerable dual-channel filtration system. The regen process will be terminated tonight at ~5:15pm EDT. (Regeneration of each of the two cartridges takes about 12 hours and is conducted only during crew awake periods. Filter bed 1 was regenerated yesterday. In order to assist in atmosphere scrubbing after last Tuesday's (4/29) Freon-218 spill from the SKV-2 air conditioner, the BMP's regeneration cycle was moded to 5 days instead of the regular 20 days.) Additional Details: here....

To provide cooling for the ground-commanded activation of the U.S. CDRA (Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly), FE-2 Reisman begun his workday by connecting the regular ITCS LTL (Internal Thermal Control System/Low Temperature Loop) coolant jumper connection to the LAB1D6 rack. (CDRA activation took place at 4:00am-5:15am EDT. The CDRA will operate over the weekend. Deactivation will occur when ppCO2 drops to 2.5 mmHG. Deactivation will be Sunday evening or early Monday morning.)

The crew conducted the regular weekly three-hour task of thorough house cleaning. ("Uborka", normally done on Saturdays, includes removal of food waste products, cleaning of compartments with vacuum cleaner, damp cleaning of the Service Module (SM) dining table, other frequently touched surfaces and surfaces where trash is collected, as well as the FE's sleep station with a standard cleaning solution; also, fan screens and grilles are cleaned to avoid temperature rises. Special cleaning is also done every 90 days on the HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) bacteria filters in the Lab. Additionally, as part of the weekly cleaning, Malenchenko performs an inspection of structural elements, cables and instruments behind SM panels for moisture.) Additional Details: here....

Flight Engineer Kononenko conducted the routine maintenance of the SOZh system (Environment Control & Life Support System, ECLSS) in the SM, including ASU toilet facilities systems/replaceables and the weekly collection of the toilet flush (SP) counter and water supply (SVO) readings for calldown to TsUP. (Regular daily SOZh maintenance consists of replacement of the KTO & KBO solid waste containers, replacement of an EDV-SV waste water and EDV-U urine container, replacement of the KOV EDV at the SKV-2 air conditioner for the Elektron-intended water, and processing U.S. condensate water as it becomes available in a filled CWC from the Lab humidifier.) Additional Details: here....

>>>Today 47 years ago (1961), the first U.S. Astronaut, Navy Commander Alan 'Big Al' Shepard Jr., launched into a suborbital flight of 15 minutes duration, reaching an altitude of 116 miles. This restored faith in the U.S. space program only 23 days after the Soviet space program launched Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin into orbit around the planet.<<<

FE-2 Reisman supported the Japanese CW/RW (Cell Wall/Resist Wall) experiment in the MSG EMCS (Microgravity Science Glovebox/European Modular Cultivation System), removing and relocating EC1 (Experiment Container 1) and EC2 on Rotor A and Rotor B. (CW/RW operates in the EMCS facility in eight special ECs (Experiment Containers) which Garrett recently (3/30) installed on the centrifuges of the facility. The EMCS rack contains two rotating centrifuges, Rotor A & Rotor B, which can support a wide range of small plant & animal experiments under partial gravity conditions.) Additional Details: here....

Using the RSE1 laptop, CDR Volkov and FE-1 Kononenko spent three more hours on their test program with the new KPT-2 BAR-RM payload equipment begun yesterday.

(Today's measurements were taken with the AU-1, Kelvin-Video, Iva-6A & TTM-2 instruments near welds along SM (Service Module) structural rings and near the shell ring in the FGB for subsequent downlinking via BSR-TM channel. At the FGB pressurized shell ring, the two cosmonauts also inspected structural elements, equipment, and cable bundles for moisture, mold, or evidence of corrosion. The BAR-RM data are being used for experimenting with ISS leak detection based on environmental data anomalies (temperature, humidity, and ultrasound emissions) at possible leak locations, in order to develop a procedure for detecting air leakage from ISS modules. The payload uses a remote infrared thermometer (Kelvin-Video), a thermohygrometer (Iva-6A), a heat-loss anemometer/thermometer (TTM-2), an ultrasound analyzer (AU-1), and a leak detector (UT2-03) to determine physical background signs of loss of ISS pressure integrity which could be indicative of leaks in the working compartments of the station. Measurements are taken in specific zones in SM PkhO, FGB and DC1, both with lights, fans & ASU pump turned on and off.) Additional Details: here....

The regen process will be terminated before sleeptime, at ~4:55pm EDT. Regeneration of bed #2 follows tomorrow. (Regeneration of each of the two cartridges takes about 12 hours and is conducted only during crew awake periods. In order to assist in atmosphere scrubbing after the Freon-218 (Khladon) spill from the SKV-2 air conditioner on 4/24, the BMP's regeneration cycle was moded to 5 days instead of the regular 20 days.)

CDR Volkov continued the current outfitting of the FGB with new stowage enclosures delivered by the ATV1 (Automated Transfer Vehicle 1), built in Russia to provide more efficient stowage spaces behind FGB panels and improve airflow/circulation. (Today's outfitting involved two more containers transferred in pieces from ATV stowage and their installation in the FGB zones 26 (panel 416) & 23B (panel 414), with bonding straps used for 23B.) Additional Details: here....

Hint: watch tonight's 'The Colbert Report' on Comedy Central, at 11:30pm EDT! Before breakfast, CDR Volkov, FE-1 Kononenko and FE-2 Reisman began their workday with the periodic session of the Russian biomedical routine assessments PZEh-MO-7/Calf Volume Measurement (second for CDR and FE-1, third for FE-2.

(Calf measurements (left leg only) are taken with the IZOG device, a custom-sewn fabric cuff that fits over the calf, using the knee and lower foot as fixed reference pints, to provide a rough index of deconditioning in zero-G and effectiveness of countermeasures.)

The FE-1 serviced the Russian BMP (Harmful Impurities Removal System), starting the "bake-out" cycle to vacuum on absorbent bed #2 of the regenerable dual-channel filtration system. The regen process will be terminated tonight at ~5:15pm EDT. (Regeneration of each of the two cartridges takes about 12 hours and is conducted only during crew awake periods. Filter bed 1 was regenerated yesterday. In order to assist in atmosphere scrubbing after the Freon-218 spill from the SKV-2 air conditioner on 4/29, the BMP's regeneration cycle was moded to 5 days instead of the regular 20 days.) Additional Details: here....

Off-duty holiday for the crew: Russia's Victory Day, one of the most sacred national holidays for the Russian people, commemorating the dozens of millions of their countrymen fallen in the Great Patriotic War (World War II).

FE-2 Reisman began the day with the periodic (monthly) CSA-CP (Compound Specific Analyzer-Combustion Products) maintenance/checkout, today changing out the battery on the prime unit. (The CSA-CP is a passive cabin atmosphere monitor that provides quick response capability during a combustion event (fire). Its collected data are stored on a logger. After replacing the battery with a new one (#1119), Garrett zero-calibrated the instrument (to eliminate drift in the combustion sensors), then redeployed the prime unit at the SM (Service Module) Central Post.) Additional Details: here....

The crew performed the regular weekly three-hour task of thorough station cleaning. ("Uborka", usually done on Saturdays, includes removal of food waste products, cleaning of compartments with vacuum cleaner, damp cleaning of the Service Module (SM) dining table, other frequently touched surfaces and surfaces where trash is collected, as well as the FE's sleep station with a standard cleaning solution; also, fan screens and grilles are cleaned to avoid temperature rises. Special cleaning is also done every 90 days on the HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) bacteria filters in the Lab.) Additional Details: here....

From the US voluntary 'job jar' task list, after wakeup and before breakfast, FE-2 Reisman downloaded the SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy & Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data from his Actiwatch to the HRF-1 (Human Research Facility 1) laptop. (To monitor his sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Garrett wears a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout this week, for the last time. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days.) Additional Details: here....

From the US voluntary 'job jar' task list, after wakeup and before breakfast, FE-2 Reisman downloaded the SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data from his Actiwatch to the HRF-1 (Human Research Facility 1) laptop.

(To monitor his sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, Garrett wears a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout this week, for the last time. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days.)

CDR Volkov completed the periodic servicing of the active Russian BMP (Harmful Impurities Removal System) by starting the "bake-out" cycle to vacuum on absorbent bed #1 of the regenerable dual-channel filtration system. The regen process will be terminated before sleeptime, at ~5:15pm EDT. Regeneration of bed #2 follows tomorrow. (Regeneration of each of the two cartridges takes about 12 hours and is conducted only during crew awake periods. In order to assist in atmosphere scrubbing after the Freon-218 (Khladon) spill from the SKV-2 air conditioner on 4/24, the BMP's regeneration cycle was moded to 5 days instead of the regular 20 days.) Additional Details: here....

Unmanned space station resupply mission. Docked with the International Space Station at the Zarya port on 16 May. Undocked on 1 September at 19:47 GMT. It then flew for a week in independent orbit, carrying out the Plazma-Progress experiment. On 8 September at 20:47 GMT it was deorbited to destruction over the Pacific Ocean.

Progress M-64/29P launched nominally yesterday at Baikonur at 4:22:56pm EDT, when ISS was leading with 152 deg phase angle.

Ascent was nominal, all appendages (antennae & solar arrays) deployed nominally, and the vehicle reached orbital insertion at 4:31:41pm. Corrective maneuvers DV1 & DV2 were conducted as per plan at 8:12:27pm (delta-V 22.62 m/s) and 8:50:36pm (23.71 m/s). 29P is scheduled to dock to the ISS FGB nadir port tomorrow evening (5/16) at 5:37pm. Congratulations, Baikonur! (The cargo ship will deliver more than 2.3 tons of various supplies to the ISS, including oxygen, water and food supplies, propellant, a new Sokol KV-2 spacesuit, consumables, scientific hardware and equipment. The spacecraft was injected into a reference near-earth elliptical orbit with 51.65 ° inclination, min/max altitudes of 193.9/245.9 km and 88.57 min revolution. Onboard systems are operating as designed as the 'chase' is on.) Additional Details: here....

2008 May 16 - .

ISS EO-17: Progress Docks to Space Station - .
A new Progress cargo carrier docked to the Earth-facing port of the International Space Station's Zarya module at 5:39 p.m. EDT Friday with more than 2.3 tons of fuel, oxygen, air, water, propellant and other supplies and equipment aboard. .
Additional Details: here....

Due to last night's extended duty after the Progress 29P arrival (5:39pm EDT), the crew had an additional 3.5 hrs sleep time this morning, i.e., wakeup - 5:30am EDT; sleep time tonight is back at the regular 5:30pm.

For the ongoing US Sleep study, currently on his voluntary 'job jar' task list, FE-2 Garrett Reisman downloaded the SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy & Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data after wakeup and before breakfast from his Actiwatch to the HRF-1 (Human Research Facility 1) laptop. (To monitor his sleep/wake patterns and light exposure, the Flight Engineer wears a special Actiwatch device which measures the light levels encountered by him as well as his patterns of sleep and activity throughout this week, for the last time. The log entries are done within 15 minutes of final awakening for seven consecutive days.) Additional Details: here....

Later, Reisman used the G1 video camcorder to take documentary footage of the EVA tools in their final configuration and the current state of the A/L, including mini workstations and contents of the ORU bags to be used, for review by EVA specialists on the ground.

With the SSRMS (Space Station Remote Manipulator System) powered up and the VDS (Video Distribution Subsystem) configured by ground commanding, the FE-2 conducted the pre-launch checkout of the RWS (Robotics Workstations). Additional Details: here....

The regen process will be terminated before sleeptime, at ~5:15pm EDT. Regeneration of bed #2 follows tomorrow. (Regeneration of each of the two cartridges takes about 12 hours and is conducted only during crew awake periods. In order to assist in atmosphere scrubbing after the Freon-218 (Khladon) spill from the SKV-2 air conditioner on 4/24, the BMP's regeneration cycle was moded to 5 days instead of the regular 20 days.)

The spacecraft successfully landed at 23:38 GMT at the edge of the expected landing area in the Mars polar region of Vastitas Borealis. It was the first successful soft landing outside of the earth since the 1970's (excepting touchdowns on asteroids or comets).

FE-2 Garrett Reisman worked on the EDR (European Drawer Rack) in the COL (Columbus Orbital Laboratory), installing a restraint on the EDR seat track for the PCDF EU (Protein Crystallization Diagnostic Facility Electronic Unit). Later, the PCDF EU was activated by the ground with crew support.

For the long-term Russian sleep study, FE-1 Oleg Kononenko terminated his third MBI-12 SONOKARD experiment session upon wake-up by taking the recording device from his SONOKARD sports shirt pocket and later copying the measurements to the RSE-MED laptop for subsequent downlink to the ground.

CDR Sergey Volkov in turn will start his third overnight MBI-12 session tonight. (SONOKARD objectives are stated to (1) study the feasibility of obtaining the maximum of data through computer processing of records obtained overnight, (2) systematically record the crewmember's physiological functions during sleep, (3) study the feasibility of obtaining real-time crew health data. Investigators believe that contactless acquisition of cardiorespiratory data over the night period could serve as a basis for developing efficient criteria for evaluating and predicting adaptive capability of human body in long-duration space flight.) Additional Details: here....

Upon wake-up, CDR Sergey Volkov terminated his third MBI-12 SONOKARD experiment session for the long-term Russian sleep study, by taking the recording device from his SONOKARD sports shirt pocket and later copying the measurements to the RSE-MED laptop for subsequent downlink to the ground.

(SONOKARD objectives are stated to (1) study the feasibility of obtaining the maximum of data through computer processing of records obtained overnight, (2) systematically record the crewmember's physiological functions during sleep, (3) study the feasibility of obtaining real-time crew health data. Investigators believe that contactless acquisition of cardiorespiratory data over the night period could serve as a basis for developing efficient criteria for evaluating and predicting adaptive capability of human body in long-duration space flight.) Additional Details: here....

FE-2 Reisman conducted 'Week 6' sampling of potable water for chemical and microbial analysis from the SVO-ZV tap and two SRV-K taps, the latter after preliminary heating of the water (four heating cycles) and flushing.

(Garrett collected three 450 mL samples (for postflight microbial analysis) and two 750 mL samples (for postflight chemical analysis) from each of three ports (SRV-K hot, SRV-K warm, SVO-ZV) for return on STS-124/1J. The small amounts of water used for flushing the equipment were later reclaimed from the flush bag.)

CDR Volkov serviced the Russian BMP (Harmful Impurities Removal System), starting the "bake-out" cycle to vacuum on absorbent bed #2 of the regenerable dual-channel filtration system. The regen process will be terminated tonight at ~5:15pm EDT. Filter bed #1 was regenerated yesterday. (Regeneration of each of the two cartridges takes about 12 hours and is conducted only during crew awake periods.) Additional Details: here....

Discovery delivered to the International Space Station the Kibo Pressurized Module, the primary element of the Japanese portion of the station. Half an earth away from jettison of external tank ET-128, a 76 m/s OMS-2 burn at 21:40 GMT put the Shuttle in its low-altitude chase lorbit. Discovery docked at the PMA-2 port of the station at 18:03 GMT on 2 June. Using the shuttle and station's robotic arms, with assistance from spacewalking astronauts, the Kibo module was attached to the station's Harmony module at 23:01 GMT on 4 June. The previously-delivered Japanese Logistics Module was transferred from Harmony to Kibo on 6 June at 20:04 GMT. The Shuttle undocked from the station on 11 June at GMT and landed on 14 June at 15:15 GMT at the Kennedy Space Center.

2008 June 1 - .

STS-124 MCC Status Report #02 - .
Nation: USA.
Program: ISS.
Flight: STS-124.
The seven members of shuttle Discovery began their first full day in space this morning, waking up to “Your Wildest Dreams” by the Moody Blues. The song was played for Pilot Ken Ham. .
Additional Details: here....

STS-124 MCC Status Report #04 - .
Nation: USA.
Program: ISS.
Flight: STS-124.
The massive Kibo laboratory is one step closer to its final destination as the shuttle Discovery is scheduled to dock with the International Space Station at 12:54 p.m. CDT today..
Additional Details: here....

2008 June 2 - .

STS-124 - Wakeup Song: Away from Home - .
Flight: STS-124.
"Away from Home" performed by Jose Molina Serrano. The song was played for Mission Specialist Greg Chamitoff..

STS-124 MCC Status Report #12 - .
Nation: USA.
Program: ISS.
Flight: STS-124.
The crews of Discovery and Expedition 17 will work today to relocate the Japanese Logistics Module (JLM) to its permanent home on top of the newly installed Japanese Pressurized Module (JPM) of the Kibo laboratory. .
Additional Details: here....

STS-124 MCC Status Report #14 - .
Nation: USA.
Program: ISS.
Flight: STS-124.
The crew of Discovery began its eighth flight day this morning to the song “Taking Off.” It was performed by Godaigo and played for Mission Specialist Aki Hoshide. .
Additional Details: here....

STS-124 - Wakeup Song: The Mickey Mouse Club - .
Flight: STS-124.
"The Mickey Mouse Club" was played for the STS- 124 crew..

2008 June 9 - .

STS-124 MCC Status Report #19 - .
Nation: USA.
Program: ISS.
Flight: STS-124.
Discovery’s crew completed the major work on the Japanese Kibo laboratory that was planned for the STS-124 mission to the International Space Station..
Additional Details: here....

2008 June 9 - .

STS-124 - Wakeup Song: The Spirit of Aggieland - .
Flight: STS-124.
"The Spirit of Aggieland" performed by the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band was played for Mission Specialist Mike Fossum..

STS-124 MCC Status Report #20 - .
Nation: USA.
Program: ISS.
Flight: STS-124.
The crew of Discovery has begun its last day of joint operations with the International Space Station..
Additional Details: here....

2008 June 10 - .

STS-124 - Wakeup Song: All Because of You - .
Flight: STS-124.
"All Because of You" by U2 was played for Mission Specialist Ron Garan..

2008 June 11 - .

STS-124 MCC Status Report #22 - .
Nation: USA.
Program: ISS.
Flight: STS-124.
The crew of Discovery is a few hours away from undocking after almost nine days at the International Space Station. .
Additional Details: here....

Today 45 years ago (June 16, 1963), Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova became the first woman to orbit the earth.

Launched on Vostok 6, Mayor General Tereshkova (Codename Chaika, 'Seagull'), 26 years old at that time, orbited the earth 48 times in 2d 22h 50m. Underway: Week 9 of Increment 17.

FE-2 Chamitoff ended his FD15 session with the NASA/JSC experiment NUTRITION w/Repository, his first, by collecting a final urine sample upon wakeup for storage in the MELFI (Minus-Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS). The sampling kit was then stowed away. Greg's next NUTRITION activity will be the FD30 session. (The current NUTRITION project is the most comprehensive in-flight study done by NASA to date of human physiologic changes during long-duration space flight. It includes measures of bone metabolism, oxidative damage, nutritional assessments, and hormonal changes, expanding the previous Clinical Nutritional Assessment profile (MR016L) testing in three ways: Addition of in-flight blood & urine collection (made possible by MELFI), normative markers of nutritional assessment, and a return session plus 30-day (R+30) session to allow evaluation of post-flight nutrition and implications for rehabilitation.) Additional Details: here....

Today 25 years ago (June 18, 1983), Sally K. Ride became the first US woman to orbit the Earth.

Launched on STS-7/Challenger, 32 years old at that time, she and her crew (CDR Bob Crippen) spent 6d 2h 23m in space.

Before breakfast & first exercise, Volkov, Kononenko and Chamitoff completed a full session with the Russian crew health monitoring program's medical assessment MO-9/Biochemical Urinalysis. Afterwards, the FE-1 closed out and stowed the Urolux hardware. (MO-9 is conducted every 30 days (and also before and after EVAs) and is one of five nominal Russian medical tests adopted by NASA for U.S. crewmembers for IMG PHS (Integrated Medical Group/Periodic Health Status) evaluation as part of the "PHS/Without Blood Labs" exam. The analysis uses the sophisticated in-vitro diagnostic apparatus Urolux developed originally for the Mir program. Afterwards, the data are entered in the MEC (Medical Equipment Computer)'s special IFEP software (In-Flight Examination Program).) Additional Details: here....

Small sleep cycle shift: The crew goes to sleep half an hour earlier tonight for a 30-min earlier wakeup tomorrow morning in support of the Orlan training exercise, enabling suit telemetry over RGS (Russian Groundsites).

Volkov & Kononenko completed the two-hour Part 2 of their second onboard 'Profilaktika' (MBI-8, 'Countermeasures') series of preventive health maintenance fitness testing on the treadmill, assisting each other in turn. (Today's fitness test was performed on the TVIS in unmotorized (idle) mode, with free choice of speeds within the range permitted. The test investigates the action mechanism and efficiency of various countermeasures (currently VELO and TVIS) aimed at preventing locomotor system disorders in weightlessness. The test differs from the normal TVIS session by the use of the TEEM-100 gas analyzer (via a mask equipped with a pneumotachometer sensor), measurement of blood lactate level and subjective evaluation of physical exertion levels during the test. The lactate blood samples were taken twice at the end of the session, using the ACCUSPORT analyzer and REFLOTRON-4 accessories. Results were entered on a log sheet. TEEM and ECG (electrocardiograph) data were transferred to the RSE-Med laptop, also on a tape cassette (Cardiocassette-2000), and prepared for later downlink via Regul-Packet comm.) Additional Details: here....

In the DC1 'Pirs', the CDR & FE-1 continued preparations for the EVA-20 on 7/10-11, with the DC1 comm links configured for their presence. Activities by Volkov & Kononenko today focused on

Functional testing of the Russian BETA-08 ECG (electrocardiogram) lead cable belts, worn under the Orlan-M suits, using the Gamma-1M medical complex from the PKO medical exam panel, Transmission tests, after setting up the Orlan 'Tranzit' communications links via the suits' BRTA radio telemetry units, with the ground via RGS VHF, for spacesuit voice, telemetry & biomedical parameters; followed by Restoring nominal communications setup in the DC1, and Configuring the backup Orlan #25 for stowage mode, leaving Orlans #26 (FE-1) & #27 (CDR) ready for use on the upcoming spacewalk. In the U.S. 'Quest' Airlock, FE-2 Chamitoff continued post-1J EVA activities, terminating the 13-hr discharge process on the last 16-volt EMU (Extravehicular Mobility Unit) battery in the BCM-3 (Battery Charger Module 3) from yesterday. (BCM-4 is currently nonfunctional. The discharge process, originally handled manually by a crewmember, is an automated procedure controlled from an A31p SSC (Station Support Computer) laptop with a special DOS application.) Additional Details: here....

Volkov & Kononenko completed a review of flight procedures plus the standard 3-hr. training drill for a Soyuz TMA-12/16S relocation from the DC1 Docking Module to the FGB nadir port, supported by ground specialists via tagup on S-band/VHF-audio. (Should 'Pirs' fail to repressurize after ingress of the two spacewalkers on 7/11, a relocation of the Soyuz, docked to the DC1 nadir port with FE-2 Chamitoff already safely locked out in the 16S Descent Module, would become necessary. In addition, for the relocation the three crewmembers and the spacecraft will have to be prepared for a return to Earth in the event of a no-docking contingency, and the station has to be configured for uncrewed operation (for which intense planning is underway at NASA, ESA, and TsUP-Moscow). Today's 3-hr. OBT (on-board training) included Soyuz procedures and data analysis for ascent/descent, orbital flight and relocation as contained in RODF (Russian Operations Data File) books, tag-up with instructor, OBT simulator work on the RSK1 laptop, etc. It is assumed that Soyuz activation would be performed on 7/11 over RGS (Russian Groundsite) on DO13 (Daily Orbit 13), closure of hatch on DO15, undocking from DC1 on DO2 (~5:28pm EDT on 7/11), flyaround (~5:34pm) and redocking at FGB at ~5:56pm (DO2).) Additional Details: here....

CDR Volkov, FE-1 Kononenko and FE-2 Chamitoff began their workday before breakfast with the periodic session of the Russian biomedical routine assessments PZEh-MO-7/Calf Volume Measurement & PZEh-MO-8/Body Mass Measurement (fourth for CDR & FE-1, second for FE-2), using the IM mass measurement device which Sergey Volkov broke down afterwards for stowage. (Calf measurements (left leg only) are taken with the IZOG device, a custom-sewn fabric cuff that fits over the calf, using the knee and lower foot as fixed reference pints, to provide a rough index of deconditioning in zero-G and effectiveness of countermeasures. For determining body mass in zero-G, where things are weightless but not massless, the Russian IM "scales" measure the inertial forces that arise during the oscillatory motion of a mass driven by two helical metering springs with known spring constants. By measuring the time period of each oscillation of the unknown mass (the crewmember) and comparing it to the period of a known mass, the crewmember's mass is calculated by the computer and displayed.) Additional Details: here....

Before breakfast and exercise, all crewmembers completed a 10-min session with the periodic Russian MedOps test "Hematokrit" (MO-10), which measures the red cell count of the blood, with CDR Volkov acting as CMO (Crew Medical Officer, Russian: Examiner).

It was the second session for Volkov & Kononenko, the first for Chamitoff. (The blood samples were drawn from a finger with a perforator lancet, then centrifuged in two microcapillary tubes in the M-1100 kit's minicentrifuge, and its hematocrit value was read off the tubes with a magnifying glass. It is a well-known phenomenon of space flight that red blood cell count (normal range: 30-45%) tends to go down over time. After the exam, the data were saved in the IFEP software (In-Flight Examination Program) on the MEC (Medical Equipment Computer), and Kononenko stowed the equipment.) Additional Details: here....

Crew sleep cycle shift: After wake-up at the regular 2:00am EDT this morning, the crew will begin their sleeptime at 2:30pm.

Three hours earlier than usual, followed by a late-night wakeup at 11:00pm, to adjust the planned Orlan-suited dry-run & Soyuz ingress training for live VHF telemetry/comm visibility over RGS (Russian Groundsites). Tomorrow's sleep period begins at 3:30pm and extends to the regular 2:00am on 6/27 (Friday). The crew will then have half the day off to recover from the sleep shift.

Upon wake-up, FE-1 Kononenko terminated his fifth MBI-12 SONOKARD experiment session, started last night, by taking the recording device from his SONOKARD sports shirt pocket and later copying the measurements to the RSE-MED laptop for subsequent downlink to the ground. (SONOKARD objectives are stated to (1) study the feasibility of obtaining the maximum of data through computer processing of records obtained overnight, (2) systematically record the crewmember's physiological functions during sleep, (3) study the feasibility of obtaining real-time crew health data. Investigators believe that contactless acquisition of cardiorespiratory data over the night period could serve as a basis for developing efficient criteria for evaluating and predicting adaptive capability of human body in long-duration space flight.) Additional Details: here....

Today at ~9:55am EDT, the ISS (specifically its FGB module) completed 55,000 orbits of the Earth, having covered a distance of 2.

2 billion kilometers (1.45 billion st.miles) in 3506 days. The 19,300 kg (42,600 lbs) Zarya ('Dawn') was launched on a Russian/Khrunichev Proton from Baikonur over 9.5 years ago (11/20/98) as the first element of the multi-national space station.<<<<

Crew activities focused on a thorough Orlan systems checkout and suited exercise in preparation for the EVA-20a on 7/10. The successful Orlan-suited dry run demonstrated that in the case of a contingency situation during the spacewalk, the crew would be able to ingress the Soyuz module while still in their Orlan suits. The activities were recorded on VTR (Video Tape Recorder) by camcorder equipment set up by FE-2 Chamitoff. (Plans for live TV downlink during the run had to be scrapped because a necessary drag-through cable could not be located in time.) Additional Details: here....

Upon wake-up, Sergey Volkov terminated his fifth MBI-12 SONOKARD experiment session for the long-term Russian sleep study, by taking the recording device from his SONOKARD sports shirt pocket and later copying the measurements to the RSE-MED laptop for subsequent downlink to the ground. (SONOKARD objectives are stated to (1) study the feasibility of obtaining the maximum of data through computer processing of records obtained overnight, (2) systematically record the crewmember's physiological functions during sleep, (3) study the feasibility of obtaining real-time crew health data. Investigators believe that contactless acquisition of cardiorespiratory data over the night period could serve as a basis for developing efficient criteria for evaluating and predicting adaptive capability of human body in long-duration space flight.) Additional Details: here....

The FE-1 performed the periodic service of the active Russian BMP (Harmful Impurities Removal System) by starting the "bake-out" cycle to vacuum on absorbent bed 1 of the regenerable dual-channel filtration system. The regen process will be terminated before sleeptime, at ~8:30pm EDT. Bed 2 regeneration follows tomorrow. (Regeneration of each of the two cartridges takes about 12 hours and is conducted only during crew awake periods. The BMP's regeneration cycle, normally done every 20 days, is currently performed four times more frequently to remove any lingering Freon-218 from the cabin atmosphere (last time: 6/19&20).) Additional Details: here....

After readying the equipment for the US PHS (Periodic Health Status) w/Blood Labs exam, FE-2 Chamitoff underwent the clinical evaluation as subject, using the PCBA(Portable Clinical Blood Analyzer), assisted by CDR Volkov as CMO (Crew Medical Officer) for the blood draw. The second part of PHS, Subjective Clinical Evaluation, was performed afterwards. All data were then logged on the MEC (Medical Equipment Computer) and the hardware stowed. (The PHS exam, with PCBA analysis and clinical evaluation, is guided by special software (IFEP, In-Flight Examination Program) on the MEC laptop. While PCBA analyzes total blood composition, the blood's hematocrit is particularly measured by the Russian MO-10 protocol.) Additional Details: here....

2008 July 1 - .

ISS EO-17: Busy Week of Spacewalk Preparations For Crew - .

Spacewalk training activities and preparations continue for the Expedition 17 crew members aboard the International Space Station.

The three crew members participated in meetings with specialists on Earth and conducted reviews and checks of the systems and procedures that will be used during upcoming spacewalks.

Commander Sergei Volkov and Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko are scheduled to embark on the first of two spacewalks July 10.

During that spacewalk, the cosmonauts will inspect their Soyuz TMA-12 spacecraft, checking the attachment of the return module to the propulsion module. They also will retrieve a suspect pyrotechnic bolt for inspection by engineers on the ground.

Volkov and Kononenko are scheduled to conduct a second spacewalk on July 15. During that excursion, they will install experiments and attach rendezvous equipment to the hull of the Zvezda service module.

Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff reviewed procedures that would be employed in the unlikely event that the Pirs docking compartment airlock fails to repressurize after either of the spacewalks.

The crew members took a break from their activities to participate in an interview with KGPE-TV in Fresno, Calif.

The crew members also completed a variety of station maintenance tasks and performed their daily physical exercise routines to counteract the effects of long-term exposure to weightlessness in space.

Continuing preparations for the two upcoming Russian Orlan EVAs, CDR Volkov & FE-1 Kononenko today focused on the second spacewalk, EVA-20, starting out with a three-hour review of familiarization material, watching a training video, and studying the preliminary EVA timeline (details, see below).

Later, Volkov gathered equipment and tools for EVA-20, going by an uplinked search list and supported by ground specialist tagup. (Besides two well-stocked tool kits, EVA-20 equipment includes the new VSPLESK ('Burst) science payload, a container for the BIORISK-MSN payload and a mounting platform.) Additional Details: here....

Inspected the Soyuz TMA-12 spacecraft in an attempt to determine the reason for the failure of the service module to separate on earlier missions, removed a pyrotechnic bolt from the struts connecting the service and reentry modules of the Soyuz for examination on earth, and installed a docking target for the future Russian Multipurpose Research Module.

First in the Persona series of Russian military imaging reconnaisance satellites. The initial orbit was 195 x 726 km x 98.3 deg. The spacecraft maneuvered itself into its operational sun-synchronous orbit on 31 July. Reportedly the satellite married the Yantar electro-optical bus with subsystems developed for the abandoned Arkon-1 reconnsaisance satellite. Said to have shut down in February 2009 due to an electronics failure.

2008 August 3 - .
03:34 GMT - .
Launch Site: Kwajalein.
Launch Complex: Kwajalein OM.
LV Family: Falcon.
Launch Vehicle: Falcon 1.
FAILURE: The new Merlin 1C first stage engine completed its burn, but the thrust took longer to decay than expected. It was still thrusting when stage 2 tried to separate, and the two stages collided, setting the second stage tumbling..

Iranian suborbital launch in support of development of an indigenous satellite launch capability. Western analysts claimed it was a failed satellite launch attempt, and that the second stage of the launch vehicle failed catastrophically at 152 km altitude.

RapidEye AG of Brandenberg paid for launch of a constellation of five environmental monitoring satellites in a single launch, each with a mass of 152 kg including 12 kg of propellant. The satellites had an optical resolution of 6 meters, and were designed to provide on-demand images for agricultural storm damage assessment and support of emergency services.

Docking with the ISS at the Zvezda module was delayed due to NASA Houston operations being curtailed during Hurricane Ike. The resupply spacecraft finally docked at 18:43 GMT on 27 September. It undocked at 16:20 GMT on 14 November, but then flew independently in orbit until 7 December in order to conduct continue ionospheric experiments.

Third Chinese manned space mission. The crew consisted of Zhai Zhigang, backup astronaut for China's first manned space mission; and Liu Buoming and Jing Haipeng, backups for the second mission. The astronauts demonstrated the capability of the Shenzhou spacecraft to carry its full complement of three crew for the first time. Zhai, wearing a Chinese-developed Feitian space suit, emerged from the orbital module of the Shenzhou and became China's first astronaut to conduct a spacewalk. Liu, wearing a proven Russian Orlan spacesuit, remained in the depressurized orbital module, ready to assist Zhai in an emergency. A subsatellite, weighing 40 kg, was released after the EVA, and relayed back images of Shenzhou 7 from close range to a distance of several kilometers. The crew returned safely to earth in a pinpoint landing in Outer Mongolia, carried live on television. The orbital module remained in space, conducting space network experiments with the subsatellite.

Zhai, wearing a Chinese-developed Feitian space suit, emerged from the orbital module of the Shenzhou and became China's first astronaut to conduct a spacewalk. Liu, wearing a proven Russian Orlan spacesuit, remained in the depressurized orbital module, ready to assist Zhai in an emergency.

India's first lunar probe. Placed by the PSLV into indicated orbit. It then used its own engines for translunar injection. It entered an initial lunar orbit of 504 km x 7502 km x 90.0 deg on November 8, maneuvering to the planned 100 x 100 km orbit by November 12.

Moon Impact Probe, released from Chandraayan-1 in lunar orbit on November 14 at 14:36 GMT. The MIP fired its own deorbit motor and impacted the moon at 15:01 GMT, near the Shackleton Crater at the south pole. The impact plume was scanned by the Chandraayan-1 orbiter and ground-based telescopes for evidence of lunar polar ice.

ISS resupply and internal outfitting flight, docked at the Harmony module of the sation at 22:01 GMT on 16 November. The Leonardo module contained 6956 kg of cargo, mainly devoted to allowing a future full ISS crew of six: two crew quarters racks, a Galley rack, a Waste and Hygiene Compartment rack, two Water Recovery System racks, an experiment rack, a Combustion integration rack, and miscellaneous supplies in three Resupply Stowage Racks and six Resupply Stowage Platforms. On 17 November at 17:09 GMT the ISS robot arm moved the Leonardo module from the shuttle's payload bay to the Harmony module nadir port for unloading. The mission also rotated the ISS long-term NASA crew member, replacing Chamitoff with Magnus. Four spacewalks were conducted, primarily to repair a broken ISS Solar Array Rotary Joint.

The unloaded Leonardo module was returned to the shuttle bay on 26 November. The shuttle undocked from the ISS at 14:47 GMT on 28 November. The next day, at 20:33 GMT, it released a 7 kg PicoSat Solar Cell Testbed Experiment, a prototype for a later picosat mission to geostationary transfer orbit to study degradation of solar cells while passing through the earth's radiation belts.

Following two wave-offs for a Kennedy Space Center landing due to weather, Endeavour made its 89 m/s deorbit maneuver at 20:19 on 29 November, and landed at Runway 04L/22R at Edwards AFB at 21:25 GMT.

STS-126 - Wakeup Song: Start Me Up - .
Flight: STS-126.
"Start Me Up" by the Rolling Stones. It was played for Mission Specialist Sandra Magnus. “I want to thank my family for that music and I’m looking forward to moving into my new home today,” Magnus radioed down to Mission Control in Houston..

2008 November 17 - .

STS-126 - Wakeup Song: London Calling - .
Flight: STS-126.
"London Calling" performed by The Clash. It was played for Mission Specialist Steven Bowen..

2008 November 18 - .

EVA STS-126-1 - .
Crew: Bowen,
Stefanyshyn-Piper.
EVA Duration: 0.29 days. Nation: USA.
Related Persons: Bowen,
Stefanyshyn-Piper.
Program: ISS.
Flight: Soyuz TMA-13,
STS-126.
The crew began the multi-EVA process of repair and lubrication of the errant Solar Alpha Rotary Joint. A 14-kg tool bag floated away and could not be recovered, but the work could be completed with spare tools..

2008 November 18 - .

STS-126 - Wakeup Song: City of Blinding Lights - .
Flight: STS-126.
"City of Blinding Lights" by U2. It was played for Mission Specialist Shane Kimbrough..

2008 November 19 - .

STS-126 - Wakeup Song: Fanfare for the Common Man - .
Flight: STS-126.
"Fanfare for the Common Man" by Aaron Copeland. It was played for Pilot Eric Boe..

Death of Sergei Nikolayevich Gaidukov at Zvyozdny Gorodok, Russia - .
Nation: Russia.
Related Persons: Gaidukov.
Russian navigator cosmonaut, 1967-1978. Retired due to medical reasons (injured during parachute training). Worked as an engineer until 1988, when he retired from all work for medical reasons..

One of the two different series of military surveillance satellites launched under the YW designation, although YW 5 was in a lower orbit similar to the ZY-2 satellites, lower than previous YW satellites. The launch vehicle was announced as a CZ-4B, but appeared to be a CZ-4B with the CZ-4C's restartable YF-40A upper stage under the larger CZ-4C nose fairing.